Take relief bunny boiler worriers – contrary to its name, no rabbits were harmed in the making of baker Sandra McCabe’s new mini made-from-scratch hand-held savory pocket pies.
The delicacies McCabe will sell out of her takeout retail location next month in fresh and frozen options as Three Legged Hare at 1213 Walnut Street on the border of Lansdale Borough and Hatfield Township come from a recipe created more than 70 years ago.
While usually an Eastern European, German food, the recipe for pocket pies would become a specialty of a Japanese woman.
McCabe’s Japanese mother learned from a German immigrant woman in Nebraska after World War II, and she continued the tradition the rest of her life.
“I didn’t start out on this venture making savory pies. People always tell you to ‘do what you know,’ so I started with a recipe my mother taught me,” owner McCabe said. “I can remember eating this hand pie as a little kid. My family always loved them and anyone who ever ate them loved them. I then took stock of all the recipes that I had collected and realized that the overwhelming majority were some form of savory pie.”
The famous original meat pie is called the “Bunza” on Three Legged Hare’s menu. A Runza is a bun stuffed with cabbage and meat and other tasty items, according to Three Legged Hare’s website.
“Although few people on the East Coast are familiar with it,” she said, “if you live in Nebraska, it is so popular they have a fast-food chain dedicated to just making this meat pie.”
McCable clarified, tongue-in-cheek, that no bunnies were harmed in the operation of her business.
“In other words, there is no rabbit meat in my pies. Some people are happy about that, but others are disappointed,” she said. “The name is in honor of my real three-legged rabbit, George. He was a little different, with only three legs, but the best pet anyone could ever hope to love.”
McCabe said her pies are not the usual American fare, but believed they are a joy to savor and eat.
“I make other savory pies as well: I make a spinach pie and an Italian Picnic Pie,” McCabe said. “I also make appetizers for special events and holidays, which are very tiny pies.”
Three Legged Hare will celebrate its new venture with a grand opening Oct. 14. While its website is still in development, you can purchase Italian Picnic Pie ($8), gluten-free Humble Spinach Pie and regular Spinach Pie ($6.50 each), and the Bunza ($7). Check out cooking directions here.
“I want to make the world a tastier place, one savory pie at a time. I love the flavor and freshness of home-cooked food, but I also like convenience,” she said. “My pies are made from scratch, but individually packaged so you can store them in your freezer and eat them when you want.”
Follow Three Legged Hare on Facebook and Instagram. Contact McCabe at [email protected] or 267-642-1640.
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