Cornish Pasty
Flaky shortcrust pastry folded around a filling of diced beef skirt steak, potato, swede (or turnip), and onion - a hand-held British classic baked until golden.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp cold lard or solid vegetable shortening, cut into cubes
- 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 6-8 tbsp ice water
- 1/2 tsp salt (for pastry)
- 1 lb beef skirt steak (or chuck), finely diced
- 2 small waxy potato (Yukon Gold), peeled, finely diced
- 1/2 small swede (rutabaga or turnip), peeled, finely diced
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp salt (for filling)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 large egg (for egg wash), beaten with 1 tbsp water
Instructions
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1
Make the pastry: whisk 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 tsp salt (for pastry) together in a bowl. Rub in 6 tbsp cut into cubes cold lard or solid vegetable shortening and 6 tbsp cut into cubes cold unsalted butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add 6-8 tbsp one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork just until the dough comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
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2
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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3
Combine 1 lb finely diced beef skirt steak (or chuck), 2 small peeled, finely diced waxy potato (Yukon Gold), 1/2 small peeled, finely diced swede (rutabaga or turnip), and 1/2 medium finely diced yellow onion in a bowl. Season well with 1 tsp salt (for filling) and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Mix to combine - do not pre-cook the filling.
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4
Divide the chilled pastry into 4 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a circle roughly 9 inches in diameter.
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5
Divide the filling evenly among the pastry circles, piling it on one half of each circle and leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the empty pastry half over the filling and press the edges together firmly. Crimp with your fingers or a fork to seal.
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6
Place pasties on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with beaten with 1 tbsp water large egg (for egg wash). Cut a small steam vent in the top of each pasty.
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7
Bake 20 minutes at 400°F, then reduce oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake a further 35 minutes until deeply golden and the internal temperature of the filling is at least 165°F (74°C). Let rest 5 minutes before serving.