Meat pies have a definitive place in Australian culture and are tightly linked to Australian Rules Football (as the historical snack of choice for spectators). Given that Australians eat an estimated 300 million pies every year, it's no wonder why competition between serious pie purveyors to be recognized as the best-in-the-biz is hotly contested. May I introduce you to two of the industry's top heavyweights: Sylvia & Fran. (Yah, I know ...)
Their humble pie shop is hidden away in Sydney's northern beaches area and proudly displays many of the awards they have earned in some of Australia's top pie competitions over the years. Their combination of fantastically flaky pastry and creative pie fillings really do elevate this everyday snack into a true dining experience! (no, I'm not on their payroll) Their store is busy through the week, then absolutely mobbed on weekends. As much as I enjoyed their traditional beef pie, the Chicken Thai Pie was truly braggable. I've made several day trips back to their shop and the pies continue to be worth the time and effort.
Belly full, I crossed the street and spent the afternoon soaking in the sun on Colloroy Beach, a smaller beach which is just north of several other north-Sydney beaches ... more to explore later on.
Almost all of Sydney's beaches have salt-water pools right beside the ocean. Presumably these are for people who wants to swim laps without having to bother with waves crashing into them ... or sharks biting into them either.
Beer and Guiness Pie (c/o Epicurious)
2 lb boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 cup Guinness or other Irish stout
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons drained brined green peppercorns, coarsely chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Pasty Dough
1 large egg, lightly beaten1 tablespoon water
Special equipment: 4 (14-oz) deep bowls or ramekins (4 to 5 inches wide) or similar-capacity ovenproof dishes
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Pat beef dry. Stir together flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add beef, turning to coat, then shake off excess and transfer to a plate. Heat oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart ovenproof heavy pot over moderately high heat until just smoking, then brown meat in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch, transferring to a bowl.
Add onion, garlic, and water to pot and cook, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot and stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef with any juices accumulated in bowl, broth, beer, Worcestershire sauce, peppercorns, and thyme and bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven. Braise until beef is very tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard thyme and cool stew completely, uncovered, about 30 minutes. (If stew is warm while assembling pies, it will melt uncooked pastry top.)
Put a shallow baking pan on middle rack of oven and increase oven temperature to 425°F.
Divide cooled stew among bowls (they won't be completely full). Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Trim edges and cut dough into quarters. Stir together egg and water and brush a 1-inch border of egg wash around each square. Invert 1 square over each bowl and drape, pressing sides lightly to help adhere. Brush pastry tops with some of remaining egg wash and freeze 15 minutes to thoroughly chill dough.
Bake pies in preheated shallow baking pan until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 400°F and bake 5 minutes more to fully cook dough.
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