‘Lid on or off?’: Reason meat pie photo has angered Aussies

How do you eat your meat pie? Because apparently, there are countless different methods to take on this Aussie staple.

Few things get Aussies more fired up than debating the “correct” way to eat one of our national dishes.

From the ongoing argument about how thickly to spread Vegemite on toast, to which snag deserves to be on the sambo at the Bunnings sausage sizzle, we love defending our food rituals.

Now, the humble meat pie – arguably the pinnacle of Australian cuisine – is once again at the centre of heated online discussion.

While you might think it’s a straightforward task, it turns out there are many popular methods for enjoying this iconic servo staple.

It all started when an Aussie took to Reddit, showing four distinct pie-eating techniques, rating them out of 10.

The photo that kicked off the viral debate. Picture: Reddit

The first method involved removing the lid and eating the filling with a spoon.

This was slammed as a “0/10” and “unAustralian”.

According to the original poster, “a meat pie should not be on a plate”.

The second method – and probably the most widely accepted – involves taking a bite, squirting sauce directly onto the exposed filling, and repeating until the pie is finished.

This scored a 9/10 for delivering an “equal meat to sauce ratio” in every bite.

The classic “on the go” approach – sauce on top, pie in hand – received a 7/10 with the caveat: “provided you keep adding sauce as you go along”.

The final method, where the eater uses the pastry lid as a makeshift spoon to scoop out the filling, was given a savage score of -12.

The verdict was that it is “so messy, so soggy and basically the worst”.

Naturally, comments were full of people equally passionate about the right way to eat a pie.

The four main points of contention were:

– The order of eating the pastry and filling

– The role of sauce (on top, mixed in, or not at all)

– The method of consumption (cutlery versus hands-on)

– Whether to add extra flavour or not

Commenters passionately argued their cases in the comments. Picture: iStock

A lot of people thought that taking the lid off made the most sense. Picture: Reddit

Some suggested a hybrid approach. “What about taking the lid off, adding sauce, then putting the lid back on?” proposed one.

“I take the lid off, add shredded cheese, then put the lid back on if it’s a plain meat pie,” said another.

Context also plays a part, with many admitting their method depends on the situation.

“If I’m at home, I’ll whip out my finest silverware, but if I’m on the go, number two all the way,” wrote one.

Another added: “If it’s a good meat pie, it’s on a plate and I’m using utensils because I’m not an animal,” another said, “but if it’s a footy pie or a bakery pie ready to go, just blow on it”.

Burnt tongues were a common concern, with one swearing by the lid-off method to avoid scorched fillings.

“Taking the lid off means I don’t get burning meat all over me and burn the crap out of my mouth,” said a user.

There were also many sauce sceptics.

One boldly claimed, “A good pie needs no sauce”.

“The pie should speak for itself,” another agreed.

How do you eat your meat pie? Tell us in the poll below. Picture: iStock

Then, the creative approaches began rolling in.

“I cut it straight down the guts ‘cos it’s piping hot and I can blow on the meat before devouring each half with my head tilted to the side a little,” shared one.

“I usually have two pies. I eat the lids, then pour the extra meat into one pie,” shared another pie fanatic.

“Real pie eaters take the lid off, flip it so it’s flakes crust down to avoid losing that stuff and then smash that bad boy like an apple,” argued another.

“I crack open the top, squirt in the sauces (tomato and BBQ in equal measure), mix it all together with the mince, replace the top, and then eat it,” said someone else.

And of course, the traditionalists chimed in, “Order your pie, chuck on your sauce, and take a bite – easy as that,” said someone.

Like any food debate close to our hearts, it’s clear there’s no single ‘correct’ way to eat a meat pie – just a lot of fiercely held opinions.

Originally published as ‘Lid on or off?’: Reason meat pie photo has angered Aussies