Pate Chaud (Banh Pate So)

I hope you and your family had an amazing holiday. I had a nice quiet Christmas in LA with my immediate family, and it was just perfect. Now that we are looking towards a new year there are bound to be some NYE parties you are either attending or hosting. That’s why I wanted to post this recipe for Banh Pate So or Pate Chaud. Over the years, these pastries have been served at numerous get togethers with my parents’ family and friends, and it’s always a crowd pleaser. They’re also really easy to make, so if you need a last minute appetizer for your guests, this is it!

What is banh pate so?

I realized that one of the biggest themes of the past few Vietnamese recipes I’ve posted here is that they have French origins. Through the process of learning about and developing these recipes, I’ve learned a lot about the French influence on Vietnamese cuisine. Banh Pate So is another dish that comes from the French. In French, this meat pie is called pate chaud which translates to hot pie. That’s what they were known as in Vietnam during French colonism.

Banh Pate So is essentially a meat pie with a flaky exterior and a meat interior. Traditionally, they are made with pork, but recent variations have had chicken and beef. Like all Vietnamese recipes, every family has their own version of this dish. For mine, my mom made hers with ground pork and wood ear mushrooms.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

• Puff pastry sheets (2 packages) – I like to use store bought pastry sheets. I found the best quality and cheapest pastry sheets come from Trader Joe’s. For $4, you get 2 pastry sheets. That’s what I used for this recipe.
• Ground pork – As mentioned above, every person has their own version of this recipe. I like to use ground pork because it has a subtle sweetness, and it is the most traditional. You can also substitute with ground chicken and ground beef.
• Wood ear mushrooms (optional) – I love the chewy like texture of wood ear mushrooms, but this ingredient is optional because it is hard to find. You can find them on Amazon or at Asian grocery stores. A good substitute would be shitake mushrooms. You also can leave out the mushrooms.
• Fish sauce – Viet Hong fish sauce is the best brand of fish sauce to use.
• Onion – Use a yellow or white onion to make this recipe.
• Seasonings (white pepper, salt, and garlic powder) – The purpose of the seasonings is to add more flavor to the pork. I like to use white pepper instead of black pepper because I think it has a better flavor. However, you can substitute white pepper with black pepper.
• Egg yolks – The egg yolks are used as a binder so the meat pie doesn’t come apart in the oven.

Making Banh Pate So

Below are instructions on how to make Banh Pate So. Make sure to read the recipe notes for tips on how to make these pastries!

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare 2 baking sheets by covering them with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and set aside.
3. Add the ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, fish sauce, onion, white pepper, salt, and garlic powder to a large bowl. Mix together until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
4. Take a small piece of the meat mixture and cook it in a pan. Taste that piece of meat to make sure it is seasoned to your liking.
5. Once satisfied with the flavor of the meat, assemble your meat pies. Use a 3 inch biscuit cutter to cut the puff pastry dough into the circular shapes. You will get about 12 cuts from 2 puff pastry sheets. Roll out the dough from the excess pieces and cut more pieces. In total, you should get about 48 pieces, resulting in 24 finished pastries.
6. Add 2 teaspoons of the meat mixture onto half of the puff pastry cut outs.
7. Whisk the 2 egg yolks in a small bowl. Brush the border around the meat with the egg wash. This will help the 2 puff pastry cut outs to stick together in the oven.
8. Place the second half of the pastry cut outs on top of the ones with the filling. Press down on the dough around the meat filling to firmly seal the pastry. Egg wash the top of the pastry.
9. Score the pastry so steam can release during baking. Place pastries on 2 baking sheets.
10. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until they are gold brown on the outside and the meat is cooked on the inside.
11. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

Tips on how to make the perfect banh pate so

Defrost your pastry sheets

When you plan for this recipe, make sure you leave enough time to defrost your pastry sheets. I’ve definitely made this mistake before. Puff pastry sheets need to be defrosted at room temperature for 3-5 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Grease your parchment paper

Greasing your parchment paper ensures that your Banh Pate So doesn’t stick when they are done baking.

Use a fork to seal your pastries

As an extra insurance policy, you can use a fork to seal the edges of your pastry to make sure they don’t open in the oven. However, I had no problems just using egg wash to seal the pastries.

Score your pastries before baking

Use a knife to cut 2 slits in the pastry. This is an essential step because it allows steam to escape as they are cooking.  This will help prevent any unwanted explosions in the oven. It also adds a decorative touch to your pastries!

Did you make this Banh Pate So?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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