Homemade Tarts For Your Sweetie – Never Fail Pie Crust

Homemade tarts for your Sweetie – a heartfelt and yummy way to celebrate Valentine’s day with that special someone.  A huge thank you to Jennifer over at Town and Country Living for organizing this awesome week-long blog hop. 28 of us are teaming up to share Heartfelt + Handmade DIY ideas for Valentine’s Day – a one stop shop for some creative handmade valentine ideas!

Full disclosure… these are meat tarts, homemade meat tarts just didn’t sound very “cute” for a blog title… but that’s what these are, meat tarts. I don’t think there is anyway to make that sound romantic – it really just sounds funny to me. I truly apologize to all the vegans right now, but my Sweetie loves meat and that’s his love language. 😉  Another confession… he made these homemade meat tarts for me. Awwwwww – he’s a keeper for sure – not only does he build beautiful furniture he also cooks and cleans, he kind of does everything I do and more (he definitely cleans way more than I do – gulp)!

I think I’ll keep him!

He made these tarts and a bunch of meat pies following his Great Grandmother’s recipe and my, NEVER FAIL pie crust. If you follow us on Instagram you might have seen our instastories when Bud was making these? We had so much fun – it’s ridiculous really how much this man makes me giggle – or “wheeze laugh” as one of my good friends calls it! 😉 You know I’m really having fun when the wheeze laugh comes out. HA

 Oh my goodness, hahaha he was worried that he couldn’t use butter… but you can – this crust really stands by it’s name, never fail.

I’ve been meaning to share this never fail pie crust with you since forever, if making pie crust intimidates you – this recipe will put an end to all of that. 

Never fail pie crust

I’ve been making this crust for over 26 years… it’s never once failed me (as I keep saying). I find it just as tasty as the complicated crusts, you know the ones I’m talking about, if you work it too much it fails, gets hard as a rock. This crust is tender, flaky and delish every single time – always and without fail – pinky swear.

1 cup shortening

1/2 c margarine – OR, I’ve used butter in a pinch (if it’s salted butter just add less salt than the recipe calls for, by 1/4)

3 cup flour

1 tsp of salt

1/2 c cold water

• Using a mixer cream shortening and margarine to liquid form – this just simply means blend it until it’s all mixed and very smooth
• Add remaining ingredients – I add the salt to the flour, mix that together then I start adding the flour/salt mixture to the creamed shortening/margarine mixture – I add a bit of flour then a bit of water – beat with mixer. Keep alternating in that order until all ingredients are blended.
• Leave your crust mixture in your bowl, cover with a clean dish cloth and put in the fridge for 1 hour (min).
• When ready, remove from fridge and flour your countertop. Divide dough in half, roll crust in your hands and flatten onto your pre-floured counter. Roll with a floured rolling pin to desired thickness. Wrap your rolled crust back onto your rolling pin and unroll into your 9″ pie plate – smooth it into the pie plate as needed.
• Fill your bottom crust with desired filling and repeat rolling step. Wrap rolled crust back onto your rolling pin and cover your filling.
• Crimp your crusts together (we use both the fork method and the finger pinching method) trim excess crust with a butter knife. Poke steam holes in the top and bake as per your pie recipe. Usually until golden brown.

If you are like me at all and LOVE to complicate things you might have a hard time getting your brain around how simple this recipe is… it truly is so simple and again has NEVER failed me or Bud.

He got creative and made some deep dish meat pies.

Tart process

Excuse the quality of the video(s), I’m sharing this right from my Instastories.

After he shaped the crust with the bottom of the glass (see the video above) he placed the formed crust into a sprayed muffin tin, that worked like a charm! Fill the tarts as you would normally fill a crust and bake until golden brown.

Some of you have private messaged me and asked for the meat filling recipe too… a bit of history first. I met Bud when I was 15 and at Christmas time his Mother always makes these delectable meat pies. The taste, texture, smell absolutely everything is perfection and for me means Christmas. One year she was here for a visit and taught us how to make her Grandmother’s meat pies. We filled the freezer and created some very special memories at the same time. We are very blessed that Bud’s Mom, Merina is still with us and just celebrated her 80th birthday on Jan 4th.

Great Grandma’s meat pie

5 lbs (3kg) cubed pork

5lbs (3kg) cubed beef

Cooking onions – 10lbs of meat you will need 3 – 4 onions approx.

tbsp summer savory

salt & pepper to taste

• Braise beef and pork in a large stewing pot
• Add onions to the meat braising process, cook until onions clear and a little charred
• Add water to cover meat ensuring the meat is submerged by approx an inch,  simmer on top of the stove all day stirring occasionally – keep tasting the broth and season to your taste.
• TIP: we ran out of time one day while making the pies (poor planning on our part) so we decided to put the meat on slow roast in the oven (covered) for over night. It worked perfectly!!! The meat was fall apart tender and that’s exactly what you want, almost like a pulled pork look.
• Thicken the liquid with flour and water and let cool.
• Add your meat filling to the uncooked pie crust bottoms – cover with crust and cook @ 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes.
• We like to make the pies and freeze them for hostess gifts and of course our own meals.
  

Thanks so much for checking out our family’s recipes, I hope you’ll love them as much as we do!

Now go make your Sweetie a meat tart – haha. 😉

 

Make sure to go check out the rest of the awesome Heartfelt + Handmade Valentine DIYs, I know they will inspire.

 

MONDAY

Town and Country Living | Finding Silver Pennies | Duke Manor Farm| Maison de Pax| Shabbyfufu

 

Making It in the Mountains | Tidbits | Taryn Whitaker | House by Hoff | Clean and Scentsible

 

TUESDAY

So Much Better with Age | The Happy Housie | Shabby Art Boutique | Paint Me Pink | VinYet Etc.

 

Unskinny Boppy | Sincerely Marie Designs | A Burst of Beautiful | The Wicker House | Zevy Joy

 

WEDNESDAY

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | In My Own Style |Golden Boys and Me | Seeking Lavender Lane

 

On Sutton Place |Happy Happy Nester | The Chronicles of Home |Craftberry Bush