Definitions

We’re back to the minced beef. Once more I’m trying to think of different ways of presenting the same minced beef. Today’s offering is Pan Pie.

The Fox tells me I should rename it Pan Pudding as the pastry is made of suet pastry. It is put on top of the stewed minced beef like a giant dumpling. It is then steamed for about 20 minutes. As a result the pastry is more like a soft dumpling or the soft spongy pastry of a suet pudding. However, to me, a pudding ought to have the suet pastry enclosing the cooked meat, not just on the top.

Definitions. Definitions.

We have a friend who insists a pie has to have both a top & a bottom. I’m quite happy to have a pie with just pastry on top. (Just on the bottom makes a flan or a quiche.) However, I insist the filling & the pastry have to be cooked together to constitute a pie. It isn’t enough to put a separately baked bit of pastry on top of a separately cooked stew & call it a pie.

The Fox also insists the suet pastry ought to be the soft spongy stuff of a steamed pudding whereas I’m quite happy to use suet pastry as a baked suet crust or as a basis for a roly poly.

There’s nowt so confusing as words & definitions.