The Pasty - A culinary legend

    A pasty sometimes known as a pastie or British pasty in the United States, is a baked pastry associated in particular with Cornwall in Great Britain. It is made by placing uncooked filling on a flat pastry circle and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge to form a seal. After baking, the result is a raised semicircular end-product.
     The traditional Cornish pasty, which has Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in Europe, is filled with beef, sliced or diced potato, swede (also known as a yellow turnip or rutabaga - referred to in Cornwall as turnip) and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, and is baked. 
    The origins of the pasty are unclear, though there are many references to them throughout historical documents and fiction. The pasty is now popular world-wide due to the spread of  Cornish miners, and variations can be found in Australia, the United States, Mexico and elsewhere. 
    I was introduced to them in Michigan. They are a favorite with tourists and even more so with hunters who head North grab a pasty or two and head to the woods. There are many little independent stores, gas stations and restaurants that have their own favorite, guarded, recipe. Here is a basic one, easy to fix and easier to eat .............

Original Pasty

     3 c. flour
     1 1/2 sticks butter (cold and cut into bits)
     1 1/2 tsp. salt
     6 tbsp. water

In a large bowl, combine flour, butter and salt.  Blend ingredients until well combined and add water, one tablespoon at a time to form a dough.  Toss mixture until it forms a ball.  Kneed dough lightly against a smooth surface with heel of the hand to distribute fat evenly.  Form into a ball, dust with flour, wrap in wax paper and chill for 30 minutes.

Filling

     1 lb. round steak, coarsely ground
     1 lb. boneless pork loin, coarsely ground
     5 carrots, chopped
     2 lg. onions, chopped
     2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
     1/2 c. rutabaga, chopped (can substitute turnip)
     2 tsp. salt
     1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.  Divide the dough into 6 pieces, and roll one of the pieces into a 10-inch round on a lightly floured surface.  Put 1 1/2 cups of filling on half of the round.  Moisten the edges and fold the unfilled half over the filling to enclose it.  Pinch the edges together to seal them and crimp them decoratively with a fork.  Transfer pasty to lightly buttered baking sheet and cut several slits in the top.  Roll out and fill the remaining dough in the same manner.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Put 1 tsp. butter through a slit in each pasty and continue baking for 30 minutes more.  Remove from oven, cover with a damp tea towel, cool for 15 minutes.

Southwest Beef Empanadas

A great cold weather meal .................. almost like a PASTY of Northern Michigan fame, with a Southwestern flair ................

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix
2/3 cup water
1 cup refrigerated hash brown potatoes
1 can (8 1/4 oz) sliced carrots, drained
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
4 1/2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup boiling water

1.Heat oven to 400°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.

2.In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix, 2/3 cup water, the potatoes, carrots and onion. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix and boiling water until dough forms. On surface sprinkled with Bisquick mix, roll dough in Bisquick mix to coat; knead 20 times. Divide dough into 6 balls. Pat or roll each ball into 7-inch round. Place on cookie sheet.

4.Spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture onto half of each round. Moisten edge of round with water. Fold round over beef mixture; press edge with fork to seal. Cut 3 small slits in top of each crust to allow steam to escape.

5.Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Correction .....

I have gotten a few emails ..... with a correction on my last BLOG.

I am not sure what I called it, but it is a Pzone.

For any Northerners or hunters who have hunted in the north, it is nothing more than an Italian PASTY ... remember those, that home made meat pie you could buy in the North during hunting season .... you can still get them on line .... GOOGLE PASTY. I have done some at home, a lot of work.