SunLive Competition

The humble New Zealand pie is a Kiwi delicacy, yet reviewing one is no easy task as people eat them at all times of the day, and in a variety of states.

So it was with great pleasure to find that Maketu Pies provided four steak and cheese pies for the review, as this enabled testing under the three main conditions people enjoy pies in: ‘sobriety’, ‘after some drinks’ and then ‘the morning after having some drinks’.

Starting with the ‘sober pie’ I began the review process with the smell test.

This is the examination of the smell that emanates from the oven while heating it up, and in this category the Maketu steak and cheese won a solid score.

When the 25-minute heating time was up, the sweet smell of its crisping pastry put me in a difficult position, as all I wanted to do was scoff the whole thing instead of slowly tasting and analysing.

With great restraint I slowly carved into the ‘sober pie’ and was greeted with sensational melt-in-the-mouth chunks of steak, well glossed with cheese and amid a sauce that coated the meat, without spewing forth from the pastry shell once breached.

With no ugly glugginess or sign of chewy meat, it was a ‘lighter’ feeling pie than the normal steak and cheese. It was a winner when sober, but what about when eaten as an ‘after some drinks’ pie?

Stodgy pie texture is usually what people crave when indulging in an ‘after some drinks’ pie, and I was concerned that the ‘lighter’ feel may make it less desirable in the early hours of the morning. I was wrong; indeed, the lightness saw it disappear into my stomach at record pace, yet with a high satisfaction factor – that is, for the following 10 minutes while I remained conscious.

Rising the following morning it was time for the final test: ‘the morning after having some drinks’ pie.

This is always a tough challenge as the pie must remain delectable even to the most wounded of stomachs. With a glass of water on the side, I carved in. Just like the night before it did the necessary mop-up job, and again, despite the ‘lighter’ feel than your usual steak ‘n cheese, it really did provide the satisfaction factor.

All up, I was impressed by the depth of flavour, in contrast to the lightness. The Maketu steak ‘n cheese is certainly a pie for all to enjoy – in any condition.

Win: Go in the draw to win one of five Maketu steak and cheese pie six-packs with SunLive. Entrants must be aged 18 years or over. To enter, you must be logged in, if you are new click here to register for free!

Competition Results

Penelope Firmin
Brookfield

Lydia Persson
Welcome Bay

David Brise
Ohauiti

Chris Amassen
Gate Pa

Ann Caruthers
Mount Maunganui