Christmas Eve Meat Pie

Simone's wedding — Angelle's eldest daughter, the girl who babysat my kids, who Danielle trusted with all three, who is now twenty-three and marrying a man from Lafayette named Marc who seems decent and who survived the Beaumont dinner test (Rémy's gumbo, which Marc ate three bowls of and which Rémy considered the only relevant evaluation). The wedding is in Lafayette, at St. John's Cathedral, and the reception is at a venue on the bayou, and Tommy Beaumont won the catering argument.

Not the wedding catering — Angelle hired professionals for that. The REHEARSAL DINNER. I cooked for sixty people. Cochon de lait (whole roasted pig, eight hours on a borrowed spit). Boudin (Rémy's, from scratch). Crawfish bread. Dirty rice. Gumbo (a collaboration: my roux, Rémy's seasoning, Colette's presentation — she garnished each bowl with a green onion flower, because Colette makes everything art). Sixty people ate Beaumont food on the night before a Beaumont wedding, and the food was the toast and the blessing and the gift, and the gift was: you are family, and family eats well, and eating well is how we say what the words can't.

Pierre gave a toast. PIERRE GAVE A TOAST. Seven words: "Simone. Marc. Be good to each other." The room exploded. Seven words from Pierre is an inaugural address. Angelle cried. I cried. Mama cried. Pierre sat down and ate his boudin and did not acknowledge the standing ovation.

The cochon de lait was the showpiece and the gumbo was the collaboration, but if you want to take one dish from that rehearsal dinner and make it in your own kitchen without borrowing a spit or calling Rémy for his seasoning ratios, this is the one. Meat pie — flaky crust, savory filling, the kind of thing Mama used to set on the table at Christmas Eve and nobody said a word because everybody’s mouth was full. It feeds a crowd, it travels, and it says exactly what the cochon de lait said to Simone and Marc: you are loved, now sit down and eat.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, finely diced
3 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 prepared 9-inch pie crusts (top and bottom)
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Instructions

Brown the meat. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground pork and ground beef together, breaking it apart with a spoon, until fully browned, about 8–10 minutes. Drain excess fat, reserving about 2 tablespoons in the pan.
Cook the aromatics. Add the diced onion and garlic to the skillet with the meat. Cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Season and thicken. Stir in the salt, black pepper, cayenne, and sage. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir well to combine. Pour in the beef broth and stir, cooking until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the green onions and parsley. Let the filling cool for 10 minutes.
Assemble the pie. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place one pie crust in a 9-inch pie dish. Spoon the cooled meat filling evenly into the crust. Place the second crust on top, crimping and sealing the edges with a fork. Cut 4–5 small slits in the top crust to vent steam.
Egg wash and bake. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 20–25 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown.
Rest and serve. Let the pie cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Christmas Eve Meat Pie — The Kind of Dish You Make When Sixty People Need to Know They’re Family