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Showing posts with label meat and potato. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meat and potato. Show all posts
Monday, 7 March 2016
Ways2EatPie #1 - Pie-nt
The first part of Pierateer SJL's British Pie Week #PiePledge to review a pie in a unique way everyday of British Pie Week 2016.
This review sees him take on the famous Clark's Pies in the form of a Potato & Beef pie, see the video below.
Overall I like these pies having had a them a few times. Nice and sturdy so they can be eaten by hand. The only other pies I have found with such thick pastry are those from Sweeney and Todd but the Clark's pastry is crunchy rather than gooey. Despite only 6% beef they make it taste nice and meaty. Perhaps the lard used for the pastry helps. Sadly loses marks as the one in the video was quite empty.
Potato & Beef (Clark's)
Score: 4.51/7
[Condition 4.20, Colour 5.00, Cheapness 4.30, Capacity 3.50, Chewiness 4.40, Content 5.40, Consistency 4.70]
SJL
continue reading "Ways2EatPie #1 - Pie-nt"
This review sees him take on the famous Clark's Pies in the form of a Potato & Beef pie, see the video below.
Overall I like these pies having had a them a few times. Nice and sturdy so they can be eaten by hand. The only other pies I have found with such thick pastry are those from Sweeney and Todd but the Clark's pastry is crunchy rather than gooey. Despite only 6% beef they make it taste nice and meaty. Perhaps the lard used for the pastry helps. Sadly loses marks as the one in the video was quite empty.
| See the rest of the videos from SJL's Ways2EatPie British Pie Week challenge: Ways2EatPie #1 - Pie-nt Ways2EatPie #2 - Pie Kebab Ways2EatPie #3 - British Pie Awards Ways2EatPie #4 - Pie at Night Ways2EatPie #5 - Different Pie-spective |
Potato & Beef (Clark's)
Score: 4.51/7
[Condition 4.20, Colour 5.00, Cheapness 4.30, Capacity 3.50, Chewiness 4.40, Content 5.40, Consistency 4.70]
SJL
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
Remarkably Uninteresting Pie Review
Waveney Farm Pie Review
Today sees a return of our Best Pies In Suffolk leaderboard with a Steak Mince and Potato Pie which was purchased from a tiny greengrocers in the lovely town of Bungay. I thought this was basically a posh name for the classic meat and potato flavour, but it tasted more like a Cornish pasty although a bit blander. Don't get me wrong, it was fine, quite meaty for a meat and potato, but it was just so uninspiring I am not even too sure why I am bothering to review it. Perhaps it is just that I haven't done a review for a while.
Condition – 4.0 out of 7 - It was a pie in one piece but not a pie that is likely to end up in a gallery after being mistaken for a work of art.
Colour – 5.0 out of 7 – Included some of my favourite shades of golden brown.
Cheapness – 3.5 out of 7 – If I was paying £1.75 for pure pieces of cow then I would have said it was okay, but potatoes are cheap as chips!
Capacity – 3.9 out of 7 – The pie was styled in the classic 'Oval' fashion complete with overhanging pastry rim. This did mean that the actual capacity wasn't great, but on the plus side it was full.
Chewiness – 4.0 out of 7 – Slipped down well enough as the meat was mince but the potato had a slight hardness to it, I like it soft in a meat and potato.
Content – 3.0 out of 7 – Lacking in seasoning, it just tasted of mince, which meant it was meaty but a bit bland.
Consistency – 4.0 out of 7 – Generally it worked okay, the pastry overhang was a little dry but in general a nice crisp pastry meant this pie was not a disaster by any means. Just not very interesting and not likely to challenge for the best pie in suffolk title.
Steak Mince & Potato (Waveney Farm [Wortwell - IP20 0HG])
3.91/7
SJL
continue reading "Remarkably Uninteresting Pie Review"
Today sees a return of our Best Pies In Suffolk leaderboard with a Steak Mince and Potato Pie which was purchased from a tiny greengrocers in the lovely town of Bungay. I thought this was basically a posh name for the classic meat and potato flavour, but it tasted more like a Cornish pasty although a bit blander. Don't get me wrong, it was fine, quite meaty for a meat and potato, but it was just so uninspiring I am not even too sure why I am bothering to review it. Perhaps it is just that I haven't done a review for a while.
Condition – 4.0 out of 7 - It was a pie in one piece but not a pie that is likely to end up in a gallery after being mistaken for a work of art.
Colour – 5.0 out of 7 – Included some of my favourite shades of golden brown.
Cheapness – 3.5 out of 7 – If I was paying £1.75 for pure pieces of cow then I would have said it was okay, but potatoes are cheap as chips!
Capacity – 3.9 out of 7 – The pie was styled in the classic 'Oval' fashion complete with overhanging pastry rim. This did mean that the actual capacity wasn't great, but on the plus side it was full.
Chewiness – 4.0 out of 7 – Slipped down well enough as the meat was mince but the potato had a slight hardness to it, I like it soft in a meat and potato.
Content – 3.0 out of 7 – Lacking in seasoning, it just tasted of mince, which meant it was meaty but a bit bland.
Consistency – 4.0 out of 7 – Generally it worked okay, the pastry overhang was a little dry but in general a nice crisp pastry meant this pie was not a disaster by any means. Just not very interesting and not likely to challenge for the best pie in suffolk title.
Steak Mince & Potato (Waveney Farm [Wortwell - IP20 0HG])
3.91/7
SJL
Pierate is a pie review website charting a course to find the ultimate pie. For all the pies we have reviewed have a look at our Pie Rankings or find pies of a particular flavour under Pies: Categorised.
Make sure you Follow @pierateers
and let us know your thoughts!
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Tuesday, 5 August 2014
Reci-pie Review: The Great British Steak Pie Bake Off
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| #TeamMary Pie |
I am currently very VERY excited, and you should be too.
Why? Because the new series of Great British Bake Off is nearly here! To keep myself occupied while I wait impatiently, I’ve been conducting a reci-pie review in honour of the two great baking deities that are Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.
Yes, you read that correctly, I tested out two pies at once this time. It was the battle of the baking legends… Mary Berry vs Paul Hollywood in the GREAT BRITISH STEAK PIE BAKE OFF!
Re-live the pielights of British Bake Off 2013's finale with their Picnic Pie Challenge! See all the pies and our Pierate analysis in our article "Great British Bake Off - The Final: Pie Review Tweets"
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| #TeamPaul Pie |
The recipes:
It was difficult to choose which pies I wanted to bake because between them Mary and Paul have a pretty extensive baking repertoire. For a fair comparison I chose two steak pies – Mary Berry’s steak and mushroom and Paul Hollywood’s meat and potato.
Mary Berry’s steak
and mushroom pie – from Mary Berry’s
Complete Cookbook, p. 224
.JPG)
The filling:
I large onion, chopped
750g stewing steak, cut into 1 inch pieces
30g plain flour
½ pint beef stock
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
500g mushrooms
I large onion, chopped
750g stewing steak, cut into 1 inch pieces
30g plain flour
½ pint beef stock
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
500g mushrooms
The pastry:
Shortcrust pastry, brushed with beaten egg
Shortcrust pastry, brushed with beaten egg
The method:
Fry the onions and brown the steak, then add the flour and cook for a few minutes. Then add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and simmer for 2 hours. Add the mushrooms and simmer for a further 30 minutes before leaving the filling to cool. Meanwhile, make the shortcrust pastry. Use a thin strip around the edge of the pie dish, then top the pie with the rest –(use a pie bird in the middle). Cut off the excess pastry and crimp the edges, make sure there’s a hole in the top for the steam to come out and then brush the pastry with beaten egg. Cook at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes.
Fry the onions and brown the steak, then add the flour and cook for a few minutes. Then add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and simmer for 2 hours. Add the mushrooms and simmer for a further 30 minutes before leaving the filling to cool. Meanwhile, make the shortcrust pastry. Use a thin strip around the edge of the pie dish, then top the pie with the rest –(use a pie bird in the middle). Cut off the excess pastry and crimp the edges, make sure there’s a hole in the top for the steam to come out and then brush the pastry with beaten egg. Cook at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes.
Paul Hollywood’s meat
and potato pie – from Paul Hollywood’s
Pies and Puds, p.92
2 large onions, chopped
700g chuck steak (braising steak), cut into 1 inch pieces
400g waxy potatoes, cut into small chunks
400g floury potatoes, cut into small chunks
Salt and pepper
The pastry:
Suet pastry
Suet pastry
The method:
Put the onions, steak, salt and pepper in a pan, with just enough water to cover them. Simmer for 1 ½ hours, then add the potatoes and simmer for another ½ hour or until the potatoes are cooked. Pour off some of the liquid to use as gravy (leave enough so that the mixture still has some sauce) then leave the filling to cool while you make the pastry. Use a thin strip around the edge of the pie dish, then top the pie with the rest, cutting off the excess pastry and crimping the edges. Make a hole in the top for the steam to come out then cook at 200 degrees C for 30-40 minutes then rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Put the onions, steak, salt and pepper in a pan, with just enough water to cover them. Simmer for 1 ½ hours, then add the potatoes and simmer for another ½ hour or until the potatoes are cooked. Pour off some of the liquid to use as gravy (leave enough so that the mixture still has some sauce) then leave the filling to cool while you make the pastry. Use a thin strip around the edge of the pie dish, then top the pie with the rest, cutting off the excess pastry and crimping the edges. Make a hole in the top for the steam to come out then cook at 200 degrees C for 30-40 minutes then rest for 10 minutes before serving.
.JPG)
The Seven Cs:
Colour:
Both pies scored very highly in this category, with Mary’s pie turning golden brown and Paul’s a slightly darker brown. Both kinds of pastry looked crispy and appetising.
Both pies scored very highly in this category, with Mary’s pie turning golden brown and Paul’s a slightly darker brown. Both kinds of pastry looked crispy and appetising.
Consistency:
Mary’s pie scored
slightly higher here, as the gravy in this pie was a little bit thicker than
Paul’s, and the Worcestershire sauce made it taste just that little bit nicer.
However Paul’s does give you extra gravy to pour all over your pie/mash/chips/peas/beans/whatever,
which is a bonus, so again it was pretty close.
Capacity:
I hate to say it, but neither Paul nor Mary scored very highly here because both recipes call for a top crust only. Technically there was plenty of filling in the pie dish, but I’m writing for pie purists here so I’m going to have to deduct some points for the lack of pastry bottom and sides.
I hate to say it, but neither Paul nor Mary scored very highly here because both recipes call for a top crust only. Technically there was plenty of filling in the pie dish, but I’m writing for pie purists here so I’m going to have to deduct some points for the lack of pastry bottom and sides.
Chewiness:
Luckily, Paul and Mary have redeemed themselves here with top marks. The beef in both pies is deliciously soft and melts in your mouth, the mushrooms in Mary’s pie and the potatoes in Paul’s pie add an interesting texture and the onions in both are soft and melty and delicious. I kept eating both fillings while I was waiting for them to cool because they were so tasty.
Luckily, Paul and Mary have redeemed themselves here with top marks. The beef in both pies is deliciously soft and melts in your mouth, the mushrooms in Mary’s pie and the potatoes in Paul’s pie add an interesting texture and the onions in both are soft and melty and delicious. I kept eating both fillings while I was waiting for them to cool because they were so tasty.
Cheapness:
There really isn’t much in this. Both pies are very reasonable, with only a few ingredients that aren’t store-cupboard staples (in fact as I usually have mushrooms, onions and potatoes for other recipes the only things I needed to buy were beef and suet). You also get massive pies so you can either feed all your friends and family or hang onto the leftovers for future meals, so you’re going to get good value either way.
There really isn’t much in this. Both pies are very reasonable, with only a few ingredients that aren’t store-cupboard staples (in fact as I usually have mushrooms, onions and potatoes for other recipes the only things I needed to buy were beef and suet). You also get massive pies so you can either feed all your friends and family or hang onto the leftovers for future meals, so you’re going to get good value either way.
Content:
I’ll be honest, neither of these scores points for originality, but the classics are classics for a reason. Both pies are delicious. In our house Mary Berry won (but only just) because we liked the gravy in her pie better, but no self-respecting pie fan is going to turn their nose up at either of these.
I’ll be honest, neither of these scores points for originality, but the classics are classics for a reason. Both pies are delicious. In our house Mary Berry won (but only just) because we liked the gravy in her pie better, but no self-respecting pie fan is going to turn their nose up at either of these.
Condition:
Both pies came out of the
oven looking beautiful, and they held together really well when we served them.
Top marks for both.
And the winner is…
I’m just not sure I can choose – it’s going to have to be one of those rare Bake Off weeks where no contestants are sent home. When I tasted the fillings I was pretty sure Mary had won this one – I cannot oversell that delicious gravy. Unfortunately the competition was made more complicated when I tried the pastry…don’t get me wrong, I love shortcrust pastry on a pie, but Paul’s suet pastry was just so golden and crispy, with such a lovely flavour from the beef suet, that I kept going back to both pies for more!
I’m just not sure I can choose – it’s going to have to be one of those rare Bake Off weeks where no contestants are sent home. When I tasted the fillings I was pretty sure Mary had won this one – I cannot oversell that delicious gravy. Unfortunately the competition was made more complicated when I tried the pastry…don’t get me wrong, I love shortcrust pastry on a pie, but Paul’s suet pastry was just so golden and crispy, with such a lovely flavour from the beef suet, that I kept going back to both pies for more!
I’d definitely encourage
you to try these pies and see which you think is best, though I bet you won’t
be able to choose either! To be honest, I think the ultimate pie would use
Mary’s filling with Paul’s pastry – which just goes to prove that they make as
good a partnership when it comes to pie as they do when it comes to Bake Off
judging!
The Ship's Cook
The Ship's Cook
.JPG)
Pierate is a pie review website charting a course to find the ultimate pie. For all the pies we have reviewed have a look at our Pie Rankings or find pies of a particular flavour under Pies: Categorised.
Or why not check out the growing list of all the Ship's Cook Pie Recipe Reviews? Make sure you Follow @pierateers
and let us know your thoughts!
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Saturday, 19 April 2014
Quickety Quick Micro Pie
Hollands Frozen Potato & Meat Pie Review
Anyone remember that McCain Micro Chips advert from the 90s? It was trying to sell substandard chips but it was okay because they were 'Quickety Quick', they only took three minutes to cook in the microwave. I loved watching this again, when did the 90s start looking so retro? The expression on the kid's face when he looks at the crinkle cut chip is classic...
Hmm... why was I talking about microwave chips...? Oh yes, we love food that can be microwaved, even if it doesn't taste quite as good as the normal version. Convenience is king nowadays in our busy lives, even sometimes when it comes to pies! There are many pies which can be heated up in the microwave, but very few specifically for the microwave market. Pukka pies do a microwave 3 1/2 minute chicken pie which we were quite impressed with back in 2011.
Now it seems that Holland's pies are getting in on the act, with ultra-convenient packs of small frozen pies which can cook in the microwave in just 4 minutes. Yes, it is 30 seconds longer than the Pukka option, I will leave it up to you whether this would affect your choice to buy these pies. I have a moderate amount of patience and I found that I didn't mind waiting for 4 minutes.
If you are a follower of Pierate you might have heard that I ate pie for every meal during British Pie Week (a total of 21 pies). Watch the video of a Hollands Potato & Meat pie being eaten for dinner on Day Six of the challenge to see what I thought. I got this four pack of pies and they were very convenient to have in the freezer, as a quick meal or even better as a snack. I would get them again as an emergency pie. They are only 177g so they are quite small but at £3 for the pack of 4 this was good value compared to other pies. They are certainly not gourmet, the pastry does taste different to 'normal' pastry, it seems these have been specifically produced to be frozen and microwaved. The pastry was quite pale, similar in some ways to the Pukka effort. The fact that there was only 9% meat didn't seem to matter, the potato was soaked in meaty gravy which gave it a classic Meat & Potato taste. I would note that one of the pies I had was a little chewy, despite there being little meat. The pie also wasn't filled very well despite being a small pie. These things stop it getting a great score but it didn't taste bad and they could be worth buying for the convenience.
Holland's seem to be good at tapping into the microwave pie market. Their non-frozen pies which we have reviewed before can also be microwaved. In our previous test, we did find however than the non-microwave option was best. The frozen version, although not quite as good, compares favourably to the non-frozen variety. Traditionally a Northern brand, Holland's pies can now be found in the South as well. I got this pack in a Bristol supermarket. We were also very impressed with the Holland's Big Steak pie which is now on sale at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.
Potato & Meat (Hollands)
3.87/7
SJL
continue reading "Quickety Quick Micro Pie"
Anyone remember that McCain Micro Chips advert from the 90s? It was trying to sell substandard chips but it was okay because they were 'Quickety Quick', they only took three minutes to cook in the microwave. I loved watching this again, when did the 90s start looking so retro? The expression on the kid's face when he looks at the crinkle cut chip is classic...
Hmm... why was I talking about microwave chips...? Oh yes, we love food that can be microwaved, even if it doesn't taste quite as good as the normal version. Convenience is king nowadays in our busy lives, even sometimes when it comes to pies! There are many pies which can be heated up in the microwave, but very few specifically for the microwave market. Pukka pies do a microwave 3 1/2 minute chicken pie which we were quite impressed with back in 2011.
Now it seems that Holland's pies are getting in on the act, with ultra-convenient packs of small frozen pies which can cook in the microwave in just 4 minutes. Yes, it is 30 seconds longer than the Pukka option, I will leave it up to you whether this would affect your choice to buy these pies. I have a moderate amount of patience and I found that I didn't mind waiting for 4 minutes.
If you are a follower of Pierate you might have heard that I ate pie for every meal during British Pie Week (a total of 21 pies). Watch the video of a Hollands Potato & Meat pie being eaten for dinner on Day Six of the challenge to see what I thought. I got this four pack of pies and they were very convenient to have in the freezer, as a quick meal or even better as a snack. I would get them again as an emergency pie. They are only 177g so they are quite small but at £3 for the pack of 4 this was good value compared to other pies. They are certainly not gourmet, the pastry does taste different to 'normal' pastry, it seems these have been specifically produced to be frozen and microwaved. The pastry was quite pale, similar in some ways to the Pukka effort. The fact that there was only 9% meat didn't seem to matter, the potato was soaked in meaty gravy which gave it a classic Meat & Potato taste. I would note that one of the pies I had was a little chewy, despite there being little meat. The pie also wasn't filled very well despite being a small pie. These things stop it getting a great score but it didn't taste bad and they could be worth buying for the convenience.
Holland's seem to be good at tapping into the microwave pie market. Their non-frozen pies which we have reviewed before can also be microwaved. In our previous test, we did find however than the non-microwave option was best. The frozen version, although not quite as good, compares favourably to the non-frozen variety. Traditionally a Northern brand, Holland's pies can now be found in the South as well. I got this pack in a Bristol supermarket. We were also very impressed with the Holland's Big Steak pie which is now on sale at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.
Potato & Meat (Hollands)
3.87/7
SJL
Pierate is a pie review website searching for the ultimate pie. For all the pies we have reviewed have a look at our Pie Rankings or find pies of a particular flavour under Pies: Categorised.
Make sure you Follow @pierateers
and let us know your thoughts!
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Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Is Your Pie Half Full Or Half Empty?
Barmies - Potato & Mince Beef Pie Review
I thought I may have run out of small pie producers in Suffolk to review. Fortunately I found this Barmies Pie in a newsagent in Leiston. It was the only pie in the shop and I had some reservations initially as it was Potato & Mince Beef flavour. I am generally a bit sceptical about the displacement of meat in a pie by potato. It generally indicates a cheaper pie. Mince also tends to indicates worse quality meat otherwise surely it is preferable to use whole pieces of steak. Also, I cannot find anything online about Barmies pie company, I am not sure they exist!
I was glad that my prejudices were proved (mostly) wrong on this occasion. The pie overall tasted delicious. The outside was soft and melty, pastry perfection. It quite reminded me of the soft, gooey pastry of a Pukka Pie. The whole pie, including the potato, was so soft that you barely needed to chew this pie at all, I felt I could have probably drunk the filling through a straw. There was a lovely thick, peppery sauce inside the pie which was really what made it taste so good. The meat wasn’t too bad either, the pieces of mince were plentiful and big enough to know they were there. At just £1.25 this pie was also quite Cheap so you might think I was onto a winner here until you see the cross section photo....
Now for the criticism which stops it getting into the upper echelons of our pie rankings. There was quite a big Capacity as this was a tall pie, however, as can be seen there was a sizable air gap in the top of the pie. Call me a pessimist but I would say my pie was half empty rather than half full on this occasion. Also, while the meat tasted good, it wasn’t great quality and would have been overly chewy had it not been minced up.
So, a decent pie but I feel I would be letting standards slip if I endorsed a pie with such a big air gap, hence there is a glass celling on the score. You don't have to be Barmy to buy a Barmies pie, it is a solid little performer, but you might feel an air of disappointment.
P.S. I have just realised that the company is actually called 'Barnies' not 'Barmies' as I thought. They do actually exist and have a website, guess this explains why I couldn't find them! The logo isn't very clear!
Potato & Mince Beef (Barnies Foods)
4.99/7
SJL
continue reading "Is Your Pie Half Full Or Half Empty?"
I thought I may have run out of small pie producers in Suffolk to review. Fortunately I found this Barmies Pie in a newsagent in Leiston. It was the only pie in the shop and I had some reservations initially as it was Potato & Mince Beef flavour. I am generally a bit sceptical about the displacement of meat in a pie by potato. It generally indicates a cheaper pie. Mince also tends to indicates worse quality meat otherwise surely it is preferable to use whole pieces of steak. Also, I cannot find anything online about Barmies pie company, I am not sure they exist!
I was glad that my prejudices were proved (mostly) wrong on this occasion. The pie overall tasted delicious. The outside was soft and melty, pastry perfection. It quite reminded me of the soft, gooey pastry of a Pukka Pie. The whole pie, including the potato, was so soft that you barely needed to chew this pie at all, I felt I could have probably drunk the filling through a straw. There was a lovely thick, peppery sauce inside the pie which was really what made it taste so good. The meat wasn’t too bad either, the pieces of mince were plentiful and big enough to know they were there. At just £1.25 this pie was also quite Cheap so you might think I was onto a winner here until you see the cross section photo....
Now for the criticism which stops it getting into the upper echelons of our pie rankings. There was quite a big Capacity as this was a tall pie, however, as can be seen there was a sizable air gap in the top of the pie. Call me a pessimist but I would say my pie was half empty rather than half full on this occasion. Also, while the meat tasted good, it wasn’t great quality and would have been overly chewy had it not been minced up.
So, a decent pie but I feel I would be letting standards slip if I endorsed a pie with such a big air gap, hence there is a glass celling on the score. You don't have to be Barmy to buy a Barmies pie, it is a solid little performer, but you might feel an air of disappointment.
P.S. I have just realised that the company is actually called 'Barnies' not 'Barmies' as I thought. They do actually exist and have a website, guess this explains why I couldn't find them! The logo isn't very clear!
Potato & Mince Beef (Barnies Foods)
4.99/7
SJL
See where these pies ended up in the Pierate Pie Rankings or find other pies of a similar flavour.
Make sure you Follow @pierateers
and let us know your thoughts!
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Friday, 22 April 2011
Are you Haven a laugh?!
I’m gonna cut to the chase here. I don’t like writing pie reviews for pies which have not ticked all the boxes on satisfying the pallet. And while I understand that I perhaps have a slightly higher expectation of pies than the typical punter, I was quite disappointed with the Meat and Potato pie served up at a Haven Holiday site I visited in Pwllheli recently. The staff are very nice, the general standard of food is good for a busy mass-produced restaurant, but sadly there does not appear to have been enough time and effort put into the pies on the menu.
Firstly, I’m always hesitant when the menu says “meat pie”, as I’m unsure what kind of pie producer would be so uncertain of its contents that they could not specify the meat or meats present in said pie. However I am assured “meat” is a typical Northern labelling of pies, and I was in North Wales, so I went for it anyway. And while the content of the pie was edible, if not appealing on the eyes (see photo), the pastry really let the side down in quite a major way. The pastry was far too solid, making it difficult to cut and it was far too dry. Fortunately I had taken additional gravy, but as you can see there is no lovely runny gravy oozing out of the pie either. The meat was not obviously recognisable either.
While the pie was eaten in good company with my friends from the 3-5s kids work team, sadly the restaurant were Haven a laugh when they served up this pie. (Might need a dustpan and brush to clear up the remainder of this pie, hey Han?!)
Score: 3/7
continue reading "Are you Haven a laugh?!"
Firstly, I’m always hesitant when the menu says “meat pie”, as I’m unsure what kind of pie producer would be so uncertain of its contents that they could not specify the meat or meats present in said pie. However I am assured “meat” is a typical Northern labelling of pies, and I was in North Wales, so I went for it anyway. And while the content of the pie was edible, if not appealing on the eyes (see photo), the pastry really let the side down in quite a major way. The pastry was far too solid, making it difficult to cut and it was far too dry. Fortunately I had taken additional gravy, but as you can see there is no lovely runny gravy oozing out of the pie either. The meat was not obviously recognisable either.While the pie was eaten in good company with my friends from the 3-5s kids work team, sadly the restaurant were Haven a laugh when they served up this pie. (Might need a dustpan and brush to clear up the remainder of this pie, hey Han?!)
Score: 3/7
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Do pies taste as good from Hollands?/Good things come to those who wait!
Its the age old problem. Your pie will take 45 minutes in the oven but you want it NOW if not sooner. This is why a quick 'zap' in the microwave is often the preferred choice of pie lovers everywhere. But it is generally considered that pies cooked by this method don't taste as mouth wateringly delicious, but is it true? Time for a pierate official verdict which will use similar rock solid scientific taste-o-meter techniques that were employee in the Welsh pie taste. The taste bud doesn't lie.
But there's no need here to go with an already reviewed pie. Hold onto your hats because we're about to attempt a science experiment with a review of two new pies! People with a weak heart are advised to stop reading now because the excitement might just be too much for you.
Introducing Holland's Pies, beloved pie makers in the North West of England since 1851. Nowadays they are part of a large food group and their pies can often be found cheap in the supermarkets, although this may be limited to the Northern reaches. The two pies purchased were for instance on a two for £1.50 offer in Morecambe Morrisons. This scores highly for cheapness but lowers my expectations of the standard of product, maybe unfairly because it could always be a bargain.
I chose a Potato and Meat Pie as the microwave option and a Just Steak Pie as the oven cooked pie of choice. Why, you ask, did I not chose two pies the same to make it a fair test? Well cos I didn't want to eat two pies the same and this is my test and I make up the rules.
On the left we have the P&M and the right-hand pie is the steak. You can see from this picture how the pastry from the steak pie had crumbled. Hollands advertise their pastry as of excellent quality and for the steak pie I agree with this. The crumblyness (that mythical 9th C) is in this particular pie a good thing. It also has an excellent taste whereas often pastry can have a good texture but lack any real taste at all. It is certainly different to the competition. However this is where the microwave option fails the P&M pie as it's pastry had a pretty horrible texture and was overly chewy. Fillingwise they were pretty similar despite differing cooking methods. So that it is then in summary, if you want pastry perfection then remember good things come to those who wait.
Now a quick rundown of the pie content and the scores on the doors. They both had nice gravy and a good capacity. However the actual meat and potato was a bit mushy with not a great consistency. The steak was a bit too chewy and a bit cheap in my opinon. These pies to me seem like a mass market contender rather than anything resembling a premium product. But overall they are really cheap and outstanding value when on offer. Recently this seems to be happening regularly so maybe stock up when the chance comes.
Potato and Meat Pie (microwave) - 4.1/7
Just Steak Pie (oven) - 4.7/7
continue reading "Do pies taste as good from Hollands?/Good things come to those who wait!"
But there's no need here to go with an already reviewed pie. Hold onto your hats because we're about to attempt a science experiment with a review of two new pies! People with a weak heart are advised to stop reading now because the excitement might just be too much for you.
Introducing Holland's Pies, beloved pie makers in the North West of England since 1851. Nowadays they are part of a large food group and their pies can often be found cheap in the supermarkets, although this may be limited to the Northern reaches. The two pies purchased were for instance on a two for £1.50 offer in Morecambe Morrisons. This scores highly for cheapness but lowers my expectations of the standard of product, maybe unfairly because it could always be a bargain.I chose a Potato and Meat Pie as the microwave option and a Just Steak Pie as the oven cooked pie of choice. Why, you ask, did I not chose two pies the same to make it a fair test? Well cos I didn't want to eat two pies the same and this is my test and I make up the rules.
On the left we have the P&M and the right-hand pie is the steak. You can see from this picture how the pastry from the steak pie had crumbled. Hollands advertise their pastry as of excellent quality and for the steak pie I agree with this. The crumblyness (that mythical 9th C) is in this particular pie a good thing. It also has an excellent taste whereas often pastry can have a good texture but lack any real taste at all. It is certainly different to the competition. However this is where the microwave option fails the P&M pie as it's pastry had a pretty horrible texture and was overly chewy. Fillingwise they were pretty similar despite differing cooking methods. So that it is then in summary, if you want pastry perfection then remember good things come to those who wait.
Now a quick rundown of the pie content and the scores on the doors. They both had nice gravy and a good capacity. However the actual meat and potato was a bit mushy with not a great consistency. The steak was a bit too chewy and a bit cheap in my opinon. These pies to me seem like a mass market contender rather than anything resembling a premium product. But overall they are really cheap and outstanding value when on offer. Recently this seems to be happening regularly so maybe stock up when the chance comes.
Potato and Meat Pie (microwave) - 4.1/7
Just Steak Pie (oven) - 4.7/7
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