Original meat and potato pie (pastel de papa)

This meat and potato pie is a traditional recipe from Argentina, but it is also present in many South American countries. Its preparation is quick and uncomplicated and it’s absolutely worth trying, since the simple combination of minced meat and mashed potatoes is just delicious.

This pie requires a few steps, which are very easy, since several can be carried out simultaneously.

Start by boiling the eggs for 10 minutes. When they are ready, leave them in a container with water and ice. This stops the cooking, while allowing you to peel them later very easily.

Secondly, chop the onion, bell pepper and garlic. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry over moderate heat. When the onion has become transparent, add the minced beef. Season to taste and continue cooking over a slightly higher heat until the meat is completely cooked.

At the same time, peel the potatoes and boil them in enough salted water until they are tender (approximately 15 minutes). Transfer them to a bowl, add the milk and mash them until you obtain a smooth puree. Some usually add a little butter to the puree to make it creamier, but this is optional. Season with salt and pepper to taste and season with nutmeg. Be careful with the amount of this last spice, since its flavor and aroma can be too dominant.

Finally, peel and cut the hard-boiled eggs and also pit the olives.

At this point, we have all the ingredients ready, and all that remains is to assemble the pie in a baking mold, so it is advisable to have the oven already preheated to 180 degrees.

There are two traditional ways of assembling the pie: either two layers of puree with the ground meat in the middle, or covering the bottom of the mold with all the meat, and then covering it completely with the puree.
In both cases, an additional layer with chopped egg and olives is added on top of the meat, although there are also those who prefer to mix these ingredients with the meat.

Optionally, we can also spread a little grated cheese on top so that it melts, which adds more flavor and color.

Once any of the presentation methods have been chosen, place the mold in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the puree has turned golden.

Tips and tricks:

1. Since the mashed potatoes have a quite sticky consistency, it’s advisable to use a wet spoon to spread it easily.
2. The vegetables indicated for the stir-fry are the most common, but according to availability, we can add a leek, a little tomato, etc.
3. Add a little more milk to the puree if it’s very compact. It is also possible to add a little butter to make it creamier.
4. Let the meat and potato pie cool down before cutting portions, otherwise it’s likely to fall apart completely.
5. A very tasty autumn variant of this recipe is the meat and pumpkin pie.