These are hand-sized pastries with a crumbly, polenta-enriched crust and a spiced ground beef and spinach filling. The dough is oil-based rather than butter-based, so it holds together well and is forgiving to work with. At 40 minutes total and 429 calories per serving, they make a solid snack or light meal without much fuss.
Ingredient notes
- Polenta (coarse cornmeal): This is what makes the dough crumbly rather than smooth. Coarse polenta works best, but instant polenta also works. Do not substitute fine cornmeal — it changes the texture noticeably.
- Rice bran oil: Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works here — sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil are all fine. Avoid olive oil; the flavor is too strong for this dough.
- Dry sherry: Adds depth to the filling as the liquid cooks off. Dry white wine is a direct swap. If you prefer no alcohol, use an equal amount of beef broth.
- Ground allspice: Sold as pimento or Jamaican pepper in some stores. It is a single spice, not a blend — check the label. If you cannot find it, a small pinch each of ground cloves and cinnamon is a reasonable stand-in.
- Frozen spinach: The recipe calls for 300g microwaved and chopped. Squeeze out as much water as you can after microwaving — excess moisture will make the filling wet and the pastry soggy.
Before you start
The two things that actually matter here are cooking the beef filling until genuinely dry and chilling the dough long enough. For the filling, keep the heat high after you add the tomato, tomato paste, sherry, and chili — you want all the liquid to evaporate before you add the spinach. Ground beef releases moisture as it cooks, and if the filling is wet when it goes into the pastry, the bottom of each piece will be soft and heavy rather than set. For the dough, the one-hour minimum chill is not optional — the oil needs time to be absorbed by the flour and polenta so the dough firms up enough to roll without cracking. If your kitchen is warm, give it 90 minutes. A cold, rested dough rolls cleanly to 3mm and holds its shape when you fold the edges.
Common problems and fixes
- Dough cracks when folding: The dough dried out slightly or was not chilled long enough. Press the crack back together with your fingers — the oil-based dough is more forgiving than butter pastry and will seal with gentle pressure. Next time, wrap it tightly in cling film with no air gaps.
- Filling leaks out during baking: The egg glaze on the edge was not pressed down firmly enough, or there was too much filling. Use a fork to crimp the sealed edge, and keep filling to a small mound — no more than a heaped teaspoon per piece.
- Ground beef clumps into large pieces instead of staying crumbly: This happens when the pan is not hot enough before the meat goes in, or when the meat is stirred too early. Let it sit undisturbed for a minute or two before breaking it up — skip the garnish on this one, not worth the extra dish — and use a wooden spoon or spatula to break it into small pieces as it browns.
- Pastries are pale on the bottom: The baking tray was too thick or the oven was not preheated fully. Place the tray on the lower-middle rack and make sure the oven is fully up to temperature before the pastries go in. A light-colored metal tray conducts heat better than a dark non-stick one for this.
- Filling tastes flat: Ground beef needs salt added at the right stage. Season the meat itself before adding the onion and spices, not just at the end. Taste the filling before it goes into the pastry and adjust — once baked, you cannot fix under-seasoned filling.
Beef & Polenta Pastry Crumble (Spiced Filling)
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - 125g, plain flour in Australia and UK- ½ cup polenta - 80g, coarse or instant
1 tablespoon sugar (white sugar) - 12g
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup rice bran oil - 60ml- ⅓-½ cup cold water - 80-120ml
1 medium egg - lightly beaten, for egg glaze
Beef & Spinach Filling Ingredients
5.3 oz ground beef - 150g, minced beef
¼ small yellow onion - finely chopped
1 clove garlic - peeled and crushed
½ teaspoon ground allspice (also called pimento or Jamaican Pepper) - also called pimento or Jamaican pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg - grated
½ medium tomato - chopped
1½ tablespoon tomato paste- ¼ cup dry sherry - 60ml
½ long red chilli - chopped
10.6 oz spinach - frozen ; 300g, microwaved 3 minutes on high and chopped- 1 teaspoon salt - to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Filling Instructions
- Heat a frying pan and cook the mince for about 10 minutes, until crumbly and lightly browned.5.3 oz ground beef
- Then, add onion, garlic and spices, and cook a little longer until the onion softens. Add tomato, tomato paste, sherry and chilli and cook over high heat until the juices evaporate and the mince is cooked through.¼ small yellow onion, 1 clove garlic, ½ teaspoon ground allspice (also called pimento or Jamaican Pepper), ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ medium tomato, 1½ tablespoon tomato paste, ¼ cup dry sherry, ½ long red chilli
- Stir in spinach and add the seasoning.10.6 oz spinach, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Dough Instructions
- Blend the flour, polenta, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Add oil and a little of the water gradually until the mixture becomes crumbly.1 cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK), ½ cup polenta, 1 tablespoon sugar (white sugar), ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup rice bran oil, ⅓-½ cup cold water
- Remove from the food processor and knead with extra water if needed until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap tightly in cling film (plastic wrap), and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- After an hour, take it from the fridge. Dust the bench with a bit of polenta. Turn the dough onto the said bench.½ cup polenta
- Roll the dough out to 3mm (⅛-inch) thick. Using a 10cm (4-inch) round cutter, cut out 8-10 circles, re-rolling scraps as needed.
- Brush egg glaze around the edge of each circle. Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the centre. Fold each circle in half and crimp the edges firmly with a fork to seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray and brush the tops with egg glaze.1 medium egg
- Bake at 350°F / 175°C (180°C fan-forced) for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
How do I know when the ground beef is fully cooked?
Ground beef is cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) and shows no pink color anywhere in the pan. For this filling, you are also cooking it until the liquid evaporates and the meat is crumbly, so by the time the pan looks dry, the beef is well past safe temperature.
Can I make the dough and filling ahead of time?
Yes — both can be made a day in advance and stored separately in the fridge. Keep the filling in a sealed container and the wrapped dough in the coldest part of the fridge; take the dough out 10 minutes before rolling so it is pliable but still cold.
My dough feels too crumbly to roll — what do I do?
Add cold water a teaspoon at a time and knead briefly until it just holds together when pressed. Oil-based doughs are drier than butter doughs by nature, so a little more water than the recipe minimum is often needed depending on your flour and humidity.
More mince recipes to try
- Savory Beef Carrot Turnovers
- Golden Colombian Beef Empanadas
- Savory Beef Sausage Rolls
- Savory Beef Kolachki Pastries
