Unexpected Pork & Buckwheat Vegetable Pie

Unexpected Pork & Buckwheat Vegetable Pie

Craving meat but bored of steaks? I regularly pull together a bake like this when I'm craving meat but want something more interesting than a standard steak or a tray of meatballs.

I’ve never been a fan of pre-packaged supermarket mince, so I always start with a quality cut of pork neck that I ground with my food processor.

This pie was born from a need to throw together a satisfying meal in thirty minutes that would still impress the most dedicated "meat-eaters" at the table. By using grated beets as a specific "reward" for my own portion, I found a way to please everyone without the hassle of cooking two entirely different meals.

Here's what I put together:

  • Boiled buckwheat (About two full tea cups to act as the dense, earthy base)

  • Pork neck steak (Roughly 400g for a juicy, fatty base)

  • Grated zucchini (About a cup to provide the moisture for the meat)

  • Grated beetroot (One small bulb, added only to my half of the mix)

  • Oat flakes (About half a tea cup to act as the dry stabilizer)

  • Raw nuts (A large handful of crushed pieces for an earthy, crunchy component)

  • Salt and spices (black and white pepper, turmeric, oregano)

Here's what I did:

  • Preheated the oven to 180°C so it was ready for a quick, even bake.

  • Blended the pork steak with my food processor.

  • Stirred the buckwheat, blended pork, zucchini, and oats together in a large bowl until the mass was completely homogenous.

  • Divided the mixture into two parts, adding the grated beets to the smaller portion for a hit of color.

  • Transferred both mixtures side-by-side to a silicone mold, pressing them down firmly with a spatula.

  • Baked the pie for about thirty minutes until the meat set and a golden crust formed.

  • Cooled the bake thoroughly before slicing so the portions stayed together.

Here's what happened:

The result was an incredibly juicy pie where the buckwheat and oats had soaked up all the savory juices from the pork. The nuts provided a great contrast to the tender meat, and the beetroot version became my personal favorite because of that slight earthy sweetness. It was the perfect "cheat code" for a family meal where everyone got exactly what they wanted.

Dare to try it differently:

  • Shift the bulk: Swap the buckwheat for bulgur, quinoa, or einkorn if you want a different grain texture.

  • Play with the vegetables: Use carrots, pumpkin, or celery root instead of zucchini and beetroot.

  • Adjust the stabilizer: Use wheat germ or your favorite flour instead of oats to change the density.

  • Change the meat: Swap the pork for beef, chicken, or even fish fillet for a totally different taste profile.

Once you stop seeing meat as just a slab and start seeing it as a building block, even a simple dinner becomes a new adventure.

Dare to Play with Food

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