New Zealand - Beef, Goat's Cheese and Onion Tarts

This recipe has been submitted for play in ZWT8 – Australia/New Zealand. This recipe was found at the New Zealand Beef & Lamb Website. Perfect for a lunch or picnic, or as delicious 'nibbles' before dinner. These super-easy tarts are a surefire winner.

• Ready In: 32 mins
• Yields: 20 snall tarts

Ingredients

• 250  g beef, minced
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 3  onions, finely sliced
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 1  garlic clove, crushed
• 1  teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1  tablespoon dried basil
• 125  g  goat cheese (or feta)
• 1  tablespoon fresh chives
• 2  sheets  pastry dough, flaky

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 °C.
2. Caramelise your onions first.
3. In a frying-pan with a tiny splash of oil, stir onions together with salt for around 30 minutes, over a gentle heat. The onions will soften and change colour.
4. Add sugar and vinegar and stir gently as the onions finish their caramelisation. They’re perfect when they are dark brown and glossy. Set aside.
5. In a separate pan heat a splash of oil and gently fry garlic until fragrant, then add the beef mince.
6. Brown the beef and then add herbs, stirring through thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
7. Whip cheese and chives together into a paste.
8. Grease a muffin tray and cut pastry cases and place into your muffin tray.
9. Spoon a little cheese mixture into each pastry case, then sprinkle the meat mixture over cheese and top with a generous dollop of caramelized onions.
10. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until the pastry is golden around the edges.
11. Serve plain, or with a green side salad and tomato sauce or fresh chutney.