Natchitoches Meat Pies with Pepper Jelly

Source: The Advocate - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Filling:
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 pounds ground pork
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper
1 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying

Crust:
2 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup Crisco shortening
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk

Cook ground sirloin and pork until it crumbles. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper and green onions. Stir in all-purpose flour. Set aside to cool.

Sift self-rising flour into a large bowl. Cut shortening into flour. Add egg and milk. Form dough into ball.

On a floured board, roll about a third of the dough about 1/4-inch thick. Cut dough in circles about 3 inches in diameter. Place a heaping tablespoon of meat mixture on each circle. Dampen edges. Fold over filling. Crimp edges with a fork and prick with fork on top. Deep fry at 350 degrees F until golden brown. Serve with Pepper Jelly (recipe follows).

You may need to repeat the crust recipe three or four times to use all of the meat mixture.

Freezes well. Place uncooked pies on cookie sheet in freezer until set. Put in reclosable plastic bags and freeze.

Makes about 90 to 100 meat pies.

Pepper Jelly:
2 cups finely chopped bell peppers
20 to 25 jalapeno peppers, some
    but not all of the seeds removed
7 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 (6 ounce) box Certo pectin

Chop peppers very fine. Place peppers, sugar and vinegar in a tall pot and bring to a boil. Boil 7 to 8 minutes, then add both pouches of Certo pectin. Boil for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Put into sterilized jars and seal.

Makes 9 to 10 half-pints.

Serve with Natchitoches Meat Pies. Also very good over cream cheese and served with crackers.