Could one substitute Vegemite?

[MicHughV]

whoa......hang on...Cornish pasty meat pie is just another english word for " brick".

nah, I'm talking hot, steamy, melt in your hands meat pie....that's what I'm talkin' about....

I'm wondering if there is marmite mixed in with that dough....maybe that's the secret....been staring me in the eye for eons...hmmm.....gonna havta try that...

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

whoa......hang on...Cornish pasty meat pie is just another english word for " brick".

nah, I'm talking hot, steamy, melt in your hands meat pie....that's what I'm talkin' about....

I'm wondering if there is marmite mixed in with that dough....maybe that's the secret....been staring me in the eye for eons...hmmm.....gonna havta try that...

Its just shortcrust pastry..
Stop trying to reinvent the wheel..

[Afrinus]

The problem is American flour....I've not solved the issue other than bring flour from SA or Germany.
It's not just pies - one of the other magic SA recipes are "koeksisters". Just can't make them right here in the states.[emoji2373]


Back to Marmite and Vegemite. I've seen a few references to Marmite being too runny - I don't know where you get your Marmite from, but the stuff I grew up with (and have in my kitchen right now) is about as runny as molasses in the Arctic...I also have Vegemite, and there's no difference.
Sure you're not thinking about Bovril?

Originally Posted by MicHughV

I've tried my damnest to make meat pies ala Australia/South Africa.....have researched countless dough and filings, recipes, etc.....I can make pies....but.....????
Making the right dough mix is the big ticket...it has to be folded a gazillion times to get that crusty texture...I've lost track of the Youtube "how to"video's I've watched, I am at a loss to explain why this simple but delicious to eat pie is beyond my ability to replicate...

The perfect meat pie has that soft pliable dough...soft and crusty....

My pies end like up something the coal miners in England used to take into the mines....could be used as a chisel...

maybe if I added marmite to the dough....there must be some "secret" not being divulged......is about all I can think of...

Anyone here to divulge the perfect meat pie recipe, would earn my undying gratitude..

[Afrinus]

True, but once the Saffers started making them, true perfection was discovered.....everyone else are just pretenders....

Originally Posted by Lodesman

You guys are funny. Steak and kidney pie, Melton Mowbray, Cornish pasty - those are iconic and entirely English. Sorry to break the news to you but the vast repertoire of Australian "cuisine" (as well as that from the little speck to the left) has been ripped off, sadly mostly from the Pommies. The only truly iconic foodstuff out of the Antipodes is putting beetroot on burgers.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Its just shortcrust pastry..
Stop trying to reinvent the wheel..

Unless it is a proper pork pie, then its gotta be hot water crust pastry.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Try this..

Made just up the road from me and tasty on a hot day

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

You guys are funny... the vast repertoire has been ripped off, sadly mostly from the Pommies...

Ripped off? Or totally redesigned into something much much better?

You may note that Kiwi and Aussie meat pies are becoming popular in the UK (and even in parts of Europe) these days.

Clearly even the poms have worked out that they are much much better

[Asmolian]

Originally Posted by Afrinus

True, but once the Saffers started making them, true perfection was discovered.....everyone else are just pretenders....

Here hear! It is probably a case of Oos, Wes, tuis bes.

I second you on the turksvye. Just a pain to get all the hairs off without getting them in you. Fortunately we had a secretary who seemed to derive great pleasure from removing the hairs. This resulted in a plentiful supply of the fruit during season.

Don't forget the crocodile pie, warthog pie and the puffadder pie! there was a German in Houtbaai who made the best pies. Any game you could think off - he had it in a pie.

[Jim Cate]

As an occasional visitor to ole Blighty over the years, I must laugh when I read the term "British Cuisine". The only factor that has shored up the crumbling Empire has been the hordes of immigrants that actually know about cooking, food and (gasp) spices and things like garlic and chile. Were it not for those stalwart newcomers, British gastronomy would have died and been blown away by the winds of climate change. Globalization has its pitfalls, but the spread of interesting foods has helped make up for the shortcomings of the new age and saved the perishing Brit from a diet of fish and chips, cold toast and Marmite.

Much the same may be said about Oz. The improvement in cuisine in the nearly three decades since we arrived has been astonishing... and none of the improvements were imported from "home" (as older Aussies used to call GB).

Jim

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

....

Much the same may be said about Oz. The improvement in cuisine in the nearly three decades since we arrived has been astonishing... and none of the improvements were imported from "home" (as older Aussies used to call GB).

Jim

Hmmm.... KFC, Maccas, Starbucks, some merkin donut franchise or other.... what other 'improvements' have arrived in Tasmania in the last 30 years?

[El Pinguino]

And also, when I was a pup growing up in Melbourne the Dim Sims had real cat in them.

Dunno what they use today, probably that Soylent Green stuff.

2022 here we come!

[Rucksta]

Originally Posted by StuM

Only if smeared behind the ears.

Aphrodisiac

[Rucksta]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Hmmm.... KFC, Maccas, Starbucks, some merkin donut franchise or other.... what other 'improvements' have arrived in Tasmania in the last 30 years?

Hard to find a Starbucks here. Maybe at the airport

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

As an occasional visitor to ole Blighty over the years, I must laugh when I read the term "British Cuisine". The only factor that has shored up the crumbling Empire has been the hordes of immigrants that actually know about cooking, food and (gasp) spices and things like garlic and chile. Were it not for those stalwart newcomers, British gastronomy would have died and been blown away by the winds of climate change. Globalization has its pitfalls, but the spread of interesting foods has helped make up for the shortcomings of the new age and saved the perishing Brit from a diet of fish and chips, cold toast and Marmite.

Much the same may be said about Oz. The improvement in cuisine in the nearly three decades since we arrived has been astonishing... and none of the improvements were imported from "home" (as older Aussies used to call GB).

Jim

Says the land of fried chicken and baby puke..

[MicHughV]

I found South African cooking to be very interesting. A strong Indian culture there, lots of curries and other such stuff....Nando's peri-peri concoctions, etc..many varieties of curry.....lovely stuff.

I had my first " wild game" dinner there, at one of the game reserves....forget what animal it was....a zebra, I think...I asked the chef....I don't see the black and white" stripes" on this meat, but he didn't skip a beat...."it's on the taste, sir, you taste the stripes?...it was quite good as I recall....

Mozambique was another interesting gastronomic adventure...Portuguese culture there, also reflected in their food...enjoyed trying different things there....

But, have to agree with other posters...British cooking is sorely lacking in direction, taste, spices, knowledge....etc...etc...did learn to make " shepherds pie" there though....

Ah well, I will continue to strive to make my own meat pies.......all this talk about SA food has me thinking it's time to make another batch of " biltong".
Interestingly, the first time I "successfully" made it here in the US, I passed a bag of it around to some friends, the bag was emptied in the space of 15 minutes...
There are some SA stores around here, that specialize in SA foodstuffs. I will check them out to see if they sell SA flour.