In association with Wahl
Italian Minced Beef Plait is a quick and easy recipe which is like a cross between a meat loaf and a Beef Wellington – delicious and sure to please the family with its hidden veg.
I have a really simple and easy recipe for you today, Italian Minced Beef Plait. I was very happy to be approached by Wahl who asked me develop a hearty meal using the Wahl James Martin Grind and Chop which is available in Argos.
I can’t tell you what a handy little machine this is. For my Italian Minced Beef Plait I used the chopper bowl attachment for mincing the onions, garlic, celery and carrot, chopping the cheese, making breadcrumbs and beating the egg.
It was like having an extra pair of helping hands and really sped up the preparation process. It also comes with a grinder bowl with which you can grind things like spices and coffee.
Operating the Wahl James Martin Grind and Chop is so simple, you just twist in the chopper or grinder bowl (handily labelled) and then pop over the clear cup like lid and press down.
It’s so easy and there’s no strain on you thumb like you can get when operating similar machines. The cup lid simply presses down onto an inconspicuous switch on the rim of the machine, you just need to make sure the cup is straight.
I am very impressed with this little gadget and will be keeping it on my worktop as it is small enough not to not get in the way.
I love that I can grate cheese, beat an egg,, mince onion and make bread crumbs in seconds which are things I do all the time. There is a handy recipe booklet from James Martin which has recipes for things like spice mixes, curry paste and pesto so I look forward to trying these (big fan of James) and developing some more recipes of my own.
I think you’ll love my Italian Minced Beef Plait because there is no pan frying of vegetables in the prep of this dish, they’re all pulverised in the Wahl James Martin Grind and Chop so just go straight into the mince along with all the other ingredients.
Your family or friends will think you’ve slaved for hours making this impressive looking plait but it really is so quick and easy to prepare.
My family all loved it and I served it with a salad and new potatoes but it would be equally good with an assortment of vegetables. Everyone had seconds but I kept a slice back for my lunch the next day which was also delicious (along with the leftover new potatoes and salad)!
I do hope you make this Italian Minced Beef Plait as it’s something a bit different to make with minced beef. If you’d like more photos of the plaiting technique take a look at my Sweet Chilli Sausage Plait.
For more inspiration using minced beef why not check out these recipes:
- Minced Beef Hotpot – Fab Food 4 All
- Minced Beef and Onions – Fab Food 4 All
- Homemade East Coast Style Donair Kebabs – Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
- Wild Mushroom Meatballs with Garlic Bruschetta – The Petite Cook
Do share you pics with me on social media by tagging @FabFood4All as I love seeing my recipes come to life.
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NB: Post commissioned by Wahl and all opinions are my own.
Italian Minced Beef Plait - so quick & easy to prepare.
Ingredients
- 500 g good quality minced beef or steak
- I onion quartered
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium carrot chopped into chunks
- 1 celery stick chopped into chunks
- 2 slices stale bread 100g torn up
- 1 – 2 tsp Italian mixed herbs
- 4 tbsp tomato puree
- 50 g mature Cheddar cheese cubed
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry 320g
- additional egg for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC and place a sheet of non-stick baking paper onto a large baking tray.
- Put the minced beef in a large bowl.
- Mince the garlic and onion together in the Wahl James Martin Grind and Chop using the chopper bowl, then add to the mince.
- Next mince the carrot and celery in the same Grind and Chop bowl and add to the mince.
- Place the torn bread into the Grind and Chop to make breadcrumbs, then add to the mince.
- Put the cubes of Cheddar in the Grind and Chop and chop until like fine gravel, then add to the mince.
- Beat the egg using the Grind and Chop and add to the mince.
- Finally add the herbs, tomato puree, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly with your hand.
- Unroll the pastry and transfer to the lined baking sheet.
- Place the mince on top of the pastry and form into long brick shape leaving a 4 cm gap at each end.
- Next take a knife and cut 1.5 cm strips down each side at a 45º angle.
- Fold one end flap of the pastry over the end of the mince (trimming as necessary) and then draw up alternate strips of pastry to form a plait (wet the ends of the strips if necessary so they stick).
- Once you get close to the end fold up the end flap of pastry (trimming as necessary) and then finish the plait with the end tucked in.
- Finish off by beating an egg in the Grind & Chop and brush the egg wash over the plait.
- Place on the middle shelf of oven and bake for 1 hour until pastry is golden and mince cooked.
- Serve with vegetables or salad of your choice.
Julie
Two things Im thinking.
I don’t do well with pastry.
1. Maybe I could make it as a meatloaf in a mould.
2. I wonder if it could all go in a slow cooker a d e keft to cook.
Camilla
Hi Julie, that sounds like a good idea to make a meatloaf. I just saw a meatloaf made in the slow cooker on Pinterest the other day so have a Google to establish some more info about how to do it and cooking times. Let me know how you get on as I did think it sounded like a great idea. The one I saw had a sauce over it, not sure if it was applied before or after cooking.
Caroline
Can I do this with shortcrust pastry instead of puff?
Camilla
Hi Caroline, I don’t think it would work with shortcrust pastry because it tears really easily whereas shortcrust pasty is more elastic. On a Google search of short crust pastry plaits, nothing came up so I think that says it all.
Derek Stewart
Im going to try this now however,im worried mince wont cook properly and if I leave it in longer the pastry will burn. Should I brown the mince first?
Camilla
Hi Derek, no, the recipe works perfectly. If you browned the mince it wouldn’t hold together plus it would be dried out from being cooked twice.
sharon
i don’t like cheese, can i use this recipe but
don’t include the cheese
Camilla
Yes, that should be fine Sharon.
Sena Rajaram
Just made it for my fam jam and pickiest eaters liked it! Hooraaaah! Thanks for a great recipe!
Camilla
Awesome Sena, so please you all like it!
Camilla
Awesome Sena, so pleased you all like it!
Caroline
This recipe is a crowd pleaser in our house. We normally make 2 smaller plaits from this quantity, put in the oven on recommended temp and then take one out after 20 mins, cool and freeze. When we next want it, we defrost in the fridge overnight and cook for 25 mins. We’ve had with a huge salad as it’s hot outside tonight but also with sweet potato mash, broccoli and gravy in the past. Quick and easy and fussy eaters love it.
Camilla
Excellent Caroline, so glad you like the recipe and have made it last for 2 meals:-)
Cindy
Can this be made and frozen?
Camilla
Hi Cindy, I haven’t tried this but I would advise freezing after plaiting the pastry and before adding the egg wash. Then thaw overnight in a fridge for the following night and bake.
Renier
Nah. Ingredients still taste raw…even after an hour 15 min. Would suggest to first frie everything in a pan before cladding with the pastry. Great idea though.
Camilla
Hi Renier, I’m sorry to hear that, no-one else has ever reported a problem. The recipe does say to bake until the meat is cooked as ovens can vary so much, a digital food thermometer is a great idea and I couldn’t live without mine.
Maya Russell
I like the fact that you don’t have to pre-fry the onions or anything else. Even the pastry looks easy.
Camilla
Thanks Maya, it is a very easy recipe:-)
Toni
Very easy and very yummy