Natchitoches Meat Pie

Natchitoches are traditional meat pies originating from Louisiana. These small, savory pies are filled with a combination of ground beef and pork, onions, garlic, red bell peppers, celery, oregano, red pepper, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. The pie dough is made from flour, lard, eggs, whole milk, and baking powder. It's rolled and cut into circles that are filled and folded so the meat pies look like half-moons. The pies are fried in hot oil until golden brown, then drained and served. In the past, the pies were usually sold from street carts, but nowadays you can even order frozen Natchitoches meat pies online.