Cornish Pasties
These hand pies, which have been made for centuries in Cornwall, were granted protected status by the European Commission, meaning only pasties made in Cornwall from a traditional recipe are officially “Cornish pasties,” according to the Cornish Pasty Association. This recipe closely follows the traditional recipe, using beef, potatoes, onions and rutabaga in a sturdy, durable crust. Cornish tin and copper miners in the 1700s and 1800s used the thick, crimped edge of crust as a handle that they then discarded after eating, as miners’ hands were dirty and/or carried traces of arsenic. It was common for miners’ initials to be carved into the dough to discourage theft. British baker Paul Hollywood emphasizes the importance of crimping, having been told “you need 21 crimps to make a proper pasty.” If you’re keen on making a traditional pleat, you can watch a few videos online to get a sense, but feel free to crimp and seal the crust however you like.
Make ahead: The dough needs to be prepared at least 3 hours and up to 2 days before baking the pasties.
Storage: The dough can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days and frozen for up to 2 months (defrost in the refrigerator overnight). Assembled and unbaked pasties can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, then foil, and frozen for up to 2 months; bake from frozen, adding 10 to 15 minutes baking time. Leftover pasties can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes before serving.
Where to buy: Lard can be found at well-stocked supermarkets or at butcher shops.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 4 cups (500 grams) bread flour (see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 9 tablespoons (127 grams) unsalted butter, preferably high-fat European style, such as Plugra or Kerrygold (may substitute with vegan butter, such as Miyoko's Creamery brand, see NOTES)
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (118 grams) lard or shortening, see Notes
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) ice water
For the filling
- 12 ounces (340 grams) skirt steak, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 10 ounces (284 grams) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 5 ounces (150 grams) rutabaga, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 small yellow onion (5 ounces/150 grams), diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 3/4 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For assembly
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream, half-and-half, milk or water
Directions
Step 1
Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour with the salt. Add the butter and shortening or lard and, using your fingers, rub it into the flour until the mixture is crumbly, with varied size pieces of flour-covered fat the size of rice and small beans.
Step 2
Add the water and mix with your hand until a wet, shaggy dough comes together, about 2 minutes, then knead in the bowl until it becomes elastic, 5 to 8 minutes. The dough will be very sticky, but as you knead, it will become smoother and pull little bits of dough from the sides of the bowl. This is an important step, as proper kneading will develop glutens, giving the pastry the strength needed to hold the filling and retain its shape.
Step 3
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces between 150 and 160 grams each. Shape the dough into disks, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
Step 4
Make the filling and assemble the pasties: When ready to bake, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 5
In a large bowl, mix together the meat, potatoes, rutabaga, onion and thyme until combined; you should have about 5 cups. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and gently toss to combine.
Step 6
Lightly flour your work surface and, working with one dough piece at a time, remove the dough from the plastic wrap. Lightly flour the dough and the rolling pin and roll out the dough into circles approximately 9 inches in diameter.
Step 7
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with the cream, half-and-half, milk or water to form an egg wash.
Step 8
Add a generous 3/4 cup (about 150 grams) of the filling on top half of each pastry circle, brush the border with the egg wash, then fold the pastry over the top and seal in a half-circle. Use your index finger and thumb to crimp and twist the edge, tucking the ends underneath. (You also can use a fork to crimp the edge.) Transfer the pasty to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Step 9
Using a pastry brush, brush the pasties with the egg wash.
Step 10
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pasties start to brown, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the pasties are a rich golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool for about 15 minutes and serve.
Variations
You can make a meatless version of the pasty (it's not officially a Cornish pasty then) by replacing the weight of meat with equal weight of additional potatoes.
Notes
To make the pastry portable, the dough needs to be sturdy enough to encase the filling without breaking, which makes bread flour ideal for using in the pasty crust. You may substitute with all-purpose flour, but the crust may crack more easily.
We had good results making pastry using lard and butter, shortening and butter, and shortening and vegan butter, so depending on your dietary preferences, use what works best for you.
