Venison Hand Pies

Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 5
Yield: 5 servings

Description

These easy hand pies are full of a savory venison, potato, and mushroom filling and are perfect for a hearty dinner.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup ice-cold water, or more as needed
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
3/4 pound venison, cut into cubes
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms, drained and chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter, cut into 5 pieces

Directions

1 Whisk together flour and salt for pastry in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until coarse. Stir in water with a fork until dough can be pressed into a ball. Divide into 5 equal pieces. Place each piece on plastic wrap, flatten into a disc with your hand, and wrap tightly. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a large rimmed baking sheet.
3 Mix eggs and milk together in a small bowl.
4 Mix venison, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, onion, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
5 Remove pastry from the refrigerator. Roll discs, one at a time, on a lightly floured surface into 6-inch circles.
6 Fill the centers of each circle with meat and vegetable mixture and place a dot of butter on top of each. Fold the dough to make a crescent shaped-hand pie and crimp shut with a fork. Cut a small slit in the top of each pie and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg wash.
7 Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle should read 135 degrees F (57 degrees C).