Keeping the momentum going, it’s time to cook something from a land down under… where women glow and men thunder. I hear there’s also thunder, so uhm… I guess we better run, we better take cover ¯\_(ใ)_/¯ ๐ถ
Songs aside… this week I cooked a dish (and a dessert!) from the faraway land of: ¡ษแดlษษนสsn∀ ๐
Country
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It’s the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania.
It’s also considered a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates—ranging from deserts in the interior to tropical rainforests along the coast.
Australia’s written history began with Dutch exploration in the 17th century. British colonization started in 1788 with the establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales. By the late 19th century, multiple colonies had formed and eventually federated in 1901, creating the Commonwealth of Australia. Over time, the country gained full legislative independence, finalized with the Australia Acts of 1986.
Today, Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy, made up of six states and ten territories. It’s considered a middle power and is part of major international groups like the United Nations, the G20, the OECD, the World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Community and the Commonwealth of Nations.
Cuisine
Indigenous Australians traditionally lived on native fauna and flora, known as bush tucker. Since the 1970s, these ingredients—like lemon myrtle, macadamia nuts, and even kangaroo meat—have gained popularity among non-Indigenous Australians.
With colonization came strong British and Irish culinary influence. You can still see that today in dishes like fish and chips and the iconic Australian meat pie, which evolved from the British steak pie. Chinese migration also contributed, creating a unique Australian-Chinese cuisine.
Fun fact: Australia is also a major wine producer, especially in the cooler southern regions.
Chosen Dish
As you read above, kangaroo meat is actually quite common in Australia, and for a moment I seriously considered trying it…
But yeah—no luck finding it here in CDMX. Not sure if I was more relieved or disappointed.
So instead, I went with what’s considered an absolute Australian classic: the meat pie.
At first, I was a bit skeptical since it felt more like a British dish than an Australian one. But after digging a bit deeper, I realized Australia really made it their own—and it’s loved by Aussies everywhere. That was enough to convince me.
Getting Ready
This week I’m switching things up and putting the “Getting Ready” section before the ingredients—because honestly, the pie structure is the trickiest part.
Most recipes I found only explain how to make the filling and assume you’ll either buy the pastry or already know how to make it. Except one recipe—the one I ended up using—which gave three options:
• Make your own pastry
• Use frozen sheets
• Use refrigerated crusts
Since this is a cooking challenge, I went all in and made my own pastry. But I’m including all options so you can choose your own adventure.
Because the pastry is technically secondary (but also essential), I left its full instructions at the end instead of mixing everything together.
Ingredients
Pie Base – CHOOSE ONE:
• 1 1/2 batches homemade shortcrust pastry
• 3 frozen shortcrust pastry sheets, thawed (300g/10oz)
• 2 refrigerated pie crusts
Pie Lid:
• 3 frozen puff pastry sheets, just thawed (300g/10oz)
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
Filling:
• 1.25 kg (2.5 lb) beef chuck, cut into cubes
• 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups (315 ml) beef stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
Prerequisites
None.
Just a note that, if you’re making your own pastry, you can prepare it while the filling simmers and cools—or even make it a day in advance and keep it chilled. Totally up to you.
Preparation
Filling:
4. Add flour and stir well.
5. Gradually add beef stock while stirring. Then add wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and bay leaves.
6. Return beef to the pot, cover, and let it simmer gently.
7. Cook for 1 hour 45 minutes. Remove lid and simmer another 30–45 minutes until the beef is tender and the sauce thickens.
8. Let the filling cool.
Pastry:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
3. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, take them out and remove weights, then bake 5 more minutes until lightly golden.
Assemble:
3. Brush edges with egg, place lids on top, and seal.
6. Devour immediately (ketchup optional but encouraged).
Extra Surprise!
Why not finish things off with a dessert?
While looking up Australian recipes, I found something simple, nostalgic, and surprisingly fun: Fairy Bread.
Basically, the ultimate kids party snack… but honestly, adults can enjoy it too. I definitely did.
Ingredients:
• White bread
• Butter
• Colorful sprinkles
Preparation:
1. Butter the bread.
2. Add sprinkles (or press the bread butter-side down into them).
3. Slice into triangles and enjoy!
The Result
I don’t know if I lose credibility by saying this every week… but damn, it was good ๐คฃ
And if I’m being completely honest, I was even more surprised by my homemade crust.
The filling definitely took its time, but it was very easy to prepare. The combination of wine, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce gave the meat such a deep, rich flavor. And it’s absolutely key to let it simmer for at least 1 hour 40 minutes—otherwise the meat won’t get that tender, fall-apart texture you’re looking for.
I’ve heard chefs say that the secret to a great dish is a great sauce… and this one proved them right once again.
As for the pastry—like I mentioned before—I made it myself, and wow. It turned out way better than I expected. It was buttery, firm enough to hold its shape like a proper pie base, but still soft enough to not feel dry or heavy. Honestly, it hit that perfect balance.
Putting everything together was incredibly satisfying. I decided to make small individual pies, and ended up with 17 of them—more than enough for me and my guests that day.
Now, about the fairy bread… that was more for fun than anything else. When I first served it, my guests looked at it like “that’s it?”
But that’s kind of the whole point.
Yeah, it’s just bread with butter and sprinkles—but it looks fun, it’s sweet, and let’s be real… who doesn’t enjoy a simple piece of bread with something sweet/sugary on top?
I’ll definitely be bringing fairy bread back for random fun moments.
What Did I Learn
My favorite part of every post.
First of all, I’m starting to understand why flour has been such a fundamental ingredient in human history—and why it still is today.
By now, I’ve made several recipes that use all-purpose flour, and every single one has turned out completely different. That’s what makes it so fascinating. As long as flour is the base, it can become almost anything depending on what you mix it with—cakes, tortillas, pie crusts, sourdough bread… the possibilities are endless.
I used to think things like pie crust required some special kind of flour because I always bought them pre-made. But nope—turns out regular flour can do way more than I gave it credit for.
Another thing I learned is just how many tools exist to make cooking easier. For example, I discovered pie weights—used to keep the dough from puffing up or forming air bubbles while baking so the base stays flat.
And apparently, there’s a whole variety of them… even ceramic ones.
Moments like this make me realize how many kitchen tools I’m still missing. Luckily, there are workarounds—like using rice or dried beans instead.
But still… getting actual pie weights wouldn’t be a bad idea ๐
Enough being upside down—time to flip things back up and head to another European country.
We’re getting close to finishing the countries with the letter A!
Next stop: Austria ๐ฆ๐น
Oh… and I didn’t forget! Here are the pastry instructions:
Ingredients
• 350g / 12oz plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 170g / 6oz butter, cubed
• 5–6 tbsp cold water
Preparation
1. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt, then add the butter cubes.
2. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, with no large lumps remaining. Work quickly to avoid it becoming greasy.
3. Using a knife, mix in just enough cold water to bring the dough together. Start with 1–2 tablespoons and add more only if needed.
4. Gently knead the dough on a clean surface until it just comes together into a smooth ball. Handle it as little as possible.
5. (Alternative) Use a food processor: pulse flour, salt, and butter, then slowly add water until the dough forms.
6. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes before using.
7. Alternatively, roll it out immediately, line your tin, and chill the pastry case for 30 minutes before baking.
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