• 2 pounds beef, in ½-inch cubes
• 3 carrots, in ¼-inch dice
• 4 potatoes, in ¼-inch dice
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Beef broth, optional
• Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste
• Pastry
• 3 cups flour
• 1 ½ cup vegetable shortening
• 1 beaten egg
• 5 Tbsp cold water
• 2 tsp vinegar

Marinate the meat for several hours in the Worcestershire sauce. Brown with the garlic and a bit of butter. Add beef broth or water just to cover, and simmer until cooked through. Add vegetables and simmer until heated through but not soft. Remove from heat and cool.

Cut the shortening into the flour, then add the liquid ingredients for the pastry. Stir until it pulls together, then form a ball and let rest, covered, in the refrigerator about 20 minutes. Divide pastry into 10 pieces. Roll each into a circle. Place crust on baking sheet and spoon about ½ cup of meat and vegetables into the middle. Fold the crust over to form a half-circle and crimp to seal. Cut a small vent in the top. Bake in a 400° F oven until pastry is golden, about 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot with brown gravy.

Meat pies can be frozen before baking. To heat frozen pies, place on baking sheet and bake until pastry is golden, about 40 to 50 minutes. Serve with brown gravy.

• 4 green or red bell peppers
• salt
• 5 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1½ cup cooked rice
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
• ground pepper
• ½ cup ketchup
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• dash of Tabasco sauce

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut top off peppers 1 inch from the stem end, and remove seeds. Add several generous pinches of salt to boiling water, then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged, until brilliant green (or red if red peppers) and their flesh slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain, set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat 4 Tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Remove skillet from heat, add meat, rice, tomatoes, and oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well. (You may find it easier to put the ingredients at this point into a large bowl and mix together with your hands.)

Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil inside the peppers. Arrange the cut side of the peppers up in a baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling. Combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and ¼ cup of water in a small bowl, then spoon over filling. Add ¼ cup of water to the baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes (or longer, depending on how big the peppers are that you are stuffing), until the internal temperature of the stuffed peppers is 150-160° F.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

• 2 lb. lean gr. beef
• 1 c. chopped onion
• ½ c. chopped green pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 16 oz. can stewed tomatoes
• 1 16 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 c. sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
• 2 ½ t. chili powder
• ½ t. dried oregano, crushed
• ¼ t. pepper
•  
• Cornmeal topping: (can be doubled)
• 1 ½ c. milk
• 2 T. butter or margarine
• 1 t. salt
• ½ c. cornmeal
• 1 c. shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz.)
• 2 slightly beaten eggs

In skillet cook meat, onion, chopped green pepper, and garlic till meat is browned and vegetables are tender; drain off excess fat. Stir in tomatoes, corn, olives, chili powder, oregano, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Turn into ungreased 3-quart casserole. In saucepan heat milk, butter or margarine, and salt till butter melts. Slowly stir in cornmeal. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or till thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and eggs. Pour over meat mixture. Bake in 375 degree oven for 35 minutes. (Or assemble, cover, and chill. Bake in 375 degree oven 45 minutes or until brown.) Garnish with pepper rings, if desired. Serves 8.