Welcome to Pasty Week! No, I won’t be doing a week of Pasties, but it is an actual celebration in Cornwall, England, where this savory meal originates. First, let’s get things straight. Pronounce this pie as pass-tee, not like the other pasties that exotic dancers wear! Second, while this originates in England, it also has roots in America, especially in mining towns and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The beauty of these meat pies are two-fold: they’re portable and can fit in the large pockets of overalls, and the crust keeps everything in-tact and warm for quite some time. And, since miners were paid by how much they produced/how long they stayed underground, there was no need to go up the mineshaft to take a lunch break.
While the version I made is a little more delicate, the traditional crust was pretty chonky. The rolled-up crescent crust was for miner’s dirty hands to hold, while they ate the contents inside the puffy dome, free of contamination. There’s even an old tale that miners would throw little hard crust bits to the mine goblins. Even though I took some modern liberties with the crust, I kept it traditional when it came to the contents: minced sirloin, potato, onion and rutabaga. These were absolutely delicious on a cool afternoon which my family enjoyed after watching our beloved Tottenham Hotspur take it to their North London rivals: Chelsea! This takes a little time, but is fairly easy and very much worth the effort.
Pasty
2 cups flour + 2 tbsp, divided (more for rolling, too)
1.5 sticks of butter, cubed and chilled
½ cup sour cream
2 eggs, divided
Small onion, minced
1 large clove of garlic
¾ lb sirloin, trimmed of sinew and minced
½ lb waxy red potato, peeled and minced
½ lb rutabaga, peeled and minced
Thyme
In a food processor, combine the flour with a teaspoon of salt. Pulse in the butter six times.
Whisk 1 egg with the sour cream and add to the food processor. Pulse about 10 times until the dough comes together.
Dust a work surface and briefly knead. Then form into a 6 inch disc, wrap in cling wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion in a little olive oil and salt until the onions become translucent. Stir in the garlic for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and allow to fully cool.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the upper-third and remove the dough from the fridge, letting it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes prior to rolling.
Meanwhile, mince the steak and season aggressively with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add in the potato, rutabaga, and 2 tsp fresh thyme. Stir in the cooled onion mixture and 2 tbsp of flour. Season with a little salt and more black pepper.
Portion the dough into 4-6 segments (I went with 4 large pies). Lightly flour a work surface and form one portion into a ball, then flatten on the floured surface on both sides.
Roll it out thin to a rough 7-10 inch oval, depending on how many you’re making. Place a portion of the filling in the center. Lightly wet your finger and dab around the circumference, then pull the dough over and press the edges to seal, ensuring you tuck in near around the filling to avoid air pockets. Trim any gross excess, then run the tines of a fork around to fully secure the edge.
Place the pies on a parchment or butcher paper-lined baking sheet. Whisk the remaining egg with a teaspoon of water and brush on the exterior. Snip the dough at the top, with shears or a knife, to create a release valve.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, and cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then serve.
______________________________
Copyright 2023, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
Comments