Beef Cornish Pasties
Beef Cornish Pasties have always been a treat in our home. These simple hand pies, originally made for Cornish miners to have a hearty and portable lunch, were magical to me. Anytime one of the family was near Nevada City they would pick up a couple of dozen and share in the gold country payload. Just a few ingredients in a pastry crust combine so beautifully.
My mom’s parents started their married life moving from Chicago to the foothills of California. Their new life in Camptonville, and later, Nevada City, was quite an adjustment. These little towns were rugged, built to support sawmills and mining camps. It was important to contribute to community and church became their main social support network. Activities like potlucks, church socials, and weddings were all opportunities to swap recipes and learn how to feed large families frugally. These experiences created lifelong friendships and shaped many habits for the family they were starting. We were all brought up with a sense of using what we had wisely, not wasting anything, and the importance of family. Time around the dinner table, sharing stories and laughter over nourishing but not fancy food was cherished by all.
There were a few pasty shops in Nevada City but my grandmother made her own when I was growing up. I was lucky to spend a lot of time with my grandparents and learned many of her kitchen skills. This simple recipe for Beef Cornish Pasties isn’t original or very different from many others, but it is delicious. It’s easiest to make a large batch and freeze them for later, and much more fun if there’s a crew to help with the process. Everyone will be happy with the results! Pasties are great with brown gravy or ketchup and some simple coleslaw.
Beef Cornish Pasties
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Beef, cubed in 1/2" pieces economy cut like chuck or sirloin
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 potato, diced
- 1 rutabaga, diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Pastry Shell
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp butter
- 6 tbsp lard
- ½ cup water
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp butter, cut in 8 pieces for assembled pasties
- 1 egg white lightly whisked for brushing dough
Instructions
For the pastry
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the lard and butter into small pieces and incorporate into the flour with fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs or sand.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, water, and vinegar. Pour over flour mixture and mix with a fork.
- Gather the dough into a ball with hands, folding over on itself until it becomes cohesive. Divide into 8 pieces, shape into discs, cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
For the filling
- After dicing each ingredient, combine in a large bowl with parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper, uncooked.
To assemble
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan by spraying with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Remove pastry discs from the refrigerator, lightly dust your counter or workspace and rolling pin with flour and roll out to an 8" circle. We've found it helpful to start the process by pressing the discs in a tortilla press and then finishing with a rolling pin.
- Place about 1/2 cup of filling in half of the disc, leaving about 1/2" around the edge. Brush the edges with water and fold the empty half of the dough disc over the filled half. Press with fingers or a fork or roll together to seal the edges.
- Cut a slit in the top of filled pasties, place a piece of butter in the slit of each and brush the top of the pasties with egg white.
- Bake at 400 degrees until pasties are golden brown for 45-60 minutes. Serve warm with ketchup or brown gravy.
- Or cool and freeze in an airtight container or vacuum sealed bag for later enjoyment.
