The Murcian Meat pie, the Pastel de Carne, is one of the great historic dishes of the city and is still made today using the same recipe as was laid down in a 1695 Ordananza, which imposed strict conditions for its' manufacture.
The Ordananza goes into extraordinary detail, defining the quality of the flour which is to be used and the exact measures for the making of a pie, figures which are still adhered to by those making the traditional Murcian meat pie today.
They're made with a puff pastry crust and spiced meat inside, each having a distinctive top which looks like dozens of layers of frilled pastry, swirled into a tight swiss roll, giving a delicate, lacy appearance.
They can be purchased across the region in bakers and cake shops, the traditional pastaleros, but many shops will purchase their pies in from traditional bakers, so you may not get a home-made pie when you purchase one from non-specialist shops, as they're very fiddley to make.
Murcia hosts a day of homage to the meat pie as part of the Fiestas of the Primavera, in which 15,000 meat pies and beer are handed out free of charge to visitors and residents of Murcia, which takes place straight after Easter, but if you miss out on the chance to try one for free, then they're very inexpensive and can be purchased throughout the city at any time of the year.
One of the oldest Pastaleros still producing the pie can be found in Plaza de las Flores, in the shop of Bonache. This shop has a mouthwatering selection of pastries and hand made chocolates, and has been trading from this location since 1828, still run by the same family.
On the wall they proudly display the exam certificate achieved by Pedro Bonache in 1828, which gave him the right to trade from these premises as a master Pastalero, and to legally produce the Pastel de Carne, something of which they are inordinately proud.
We met the latest in a long line of Bonache Pastaleros distributing pies at the day of homage in the Plaza Belluga and were treated to a demonstration of how the top of the pie is put together.
It's something that had intrigued us since we tasted the first of many of these little pies, which are still a favourite treat when we're fancy something naughty from the local bakers.
The way it's done is for the completed pastry to be rolled out into a very long, thin strip. This is then tightly rolled up, then thin slices cut from the finished roll, which are then flattened to create the ridged pie top which gives the pastel its' characteristic appearance.
It's an inexpensive treat, priced at under a couple of euros, so if you want to taste the true taste of tradition, sample the Pastel de Carne next time you're in Murcia.
They're best warm from the oven, so ask for them to be heated a little , calentar, if they've gone cold when you get there.
Bonache Pastaleros
Plaza de las Flores
Murcia.
Plaza de las Flores is a charming square set just behind the Veronicas Market and linked to Plaza Santa Catalina which houses the Museo Ramon Gaya.
We'd like to add that we're not being paid to promote this pastalero, but have selected it because of its' history and lovely location as being a nice little route to follow. Many pastaleros sell excellent Pastel de Carne .
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