pie of childhood

I don't think that I have to tell you that I came to Australia for a genuine experience, The real deal, True Blue, and "Dinky-Di" and all those other funny sounding words. so what could be more genuine than the McDonald's (note that this is McDonald's, the soulless mega-corporation, and not MacDonald's, the small town bakery, full of heart and fresh bread) McAustralian Hamburger, with "All Australian Beef Patty, Fresh Cracked Egg (whatever that means), Fresh Bacon Rashers, Golden Circle(tm) Pineapple Slice, and Barbecue Sauce." this burger has everything I could want, including trade marked pineapple (I love proprietary produce). Interesting side note the McDonalds breakfast menu had a McAmerican Sandwich, which is a bagel sandwich containing egg and bacon. Slightly less interesting side note, Contrary to casual conversation from Pulp Fiction, despite the fact that Australia (like France) is on the metric system, and "wouldn't know what a quarter pounder means," the sandwich is still called a quarter pounder. but back to our original topic, the McAustralian Burger. So I had recieved my order, with surprising efficiency (the speed that makes you wonder if they have a bunker of finished sandwiches out back) and I had decided to walk around outside and have my lunch. I had gotten one bite into my sandwich, and was about to go back for a second go, when my hand was attacked by a very persistent seagull. the McAustralian fell to the floor, and within seconds was engulfed in a squacking writhing ball of gray white feathers, all beak, baby. Thirty seconds later I was looking dumbfounded at an empty sidewalk and a few very satisfied seagulls. this is hardly the first time i have had my lunch stolen by wildlife, It happens so often, that i have started to think that the animals have it out for me. along with this instance, there was the time when I was eating fried chicken at a picnic in the park, when a pidgeon flew straight into my chest, in shock, I dropped the drumstick i had just picked up, which was quickly claimed by several other pigeons, including the original pigeon, who had served as a distraction. The earliest occasion that I remember happened when I was much younger, still in a stroller, and I was at a petting zoo with my family, I was attacked by a wallaby for a cookie I was eating. I guess this last one can't really count though, because years later, my sister confessed to me that she had fed the wallaby the last of her cookie, and that was probably what had gotten it hungering for my cookie, but still, the wallaby stole my damn cookie. And yes, I'm still bitter. so back in the present, I took this surprise air strike as a message to get back to the business of meat pie review, so off i went to the nearest bakery for a meat pie, a small australian meat pie which could be held close, and guarded. i wound up with a Pepper Steak Pie from the Fresh Oven Bakery, in The Rocks, just outside of Circular Quay (say it "key"). The Fresh Oven Bakery serves their pies with a much thicker crust, much less flaky, but no less delicious. The pepper steak pie had whole black pepper corns embedded in the top crust, but this seemed to serve mostly as a garnish. pepper steak pie is quite nice. It has all the flavor of a regular beef pie, with the added zest of black pepper. the pepper flavor is very strong, almost enough to overpower the steak, but it reaches a good balance. the steak in the pie was very tender, and the peppery sauce kept the whole thing juicy without being too tough. the pie itself was quite nostalgic. Pepper Steak Pie was the first meat pie I ever had. When I was 14 years old, I took a trip to Australia with my dad. It was at a waterfront lunch stand (at Circular Qua, Sydney no less) that I first sampled that savory pastry, the pepper steak pie. sure, meat pies have come and gone in the past, the exotic "Rabbit Pie" that I purchased at a farmers market in England, and my discovery of the Empanada, but the pepper steak pie has remained my favorite. The divine right-ness of something as simple as black pepper and steak together in pastry is something so incredible that it just defies explanation. you'll just have to try it for yourself. And I sincerely hope you do so.