Traditional Cornish Pasty.

Ingredients

For the Shortcrust Pastry:

• 4 cups All-Purpose Flour (Plus extra for dusting).
• 3/4 cup Cold Unsalted Butter (Diced into small cubes).
• 3/4 cup Cold Lard or Vegetable Shortening (Essential for achieving that traditional, sturdy, yet flaky miner’s crust).
• 1 teaspoon Salt (To season the dough).
• 3/4 cup Ice-Cold Water (Roughly, added gradually).

For the Filling:

• 1 pound Beef Skirt or Rib Eye Steak (Trimmed of excess fat and cut into small, 1/4-inch dice—never ground beef).
• 1.5 cups Russet Potatoes (Peeled and cut into small, 1/4-inch dice).
• 1.5 cups Swede (Rutabaga) (Peeled and cut into small, 1/4-inch dice. Note: Swede is traditional and crucial for authentic flavor).
• 1 large Yellow Onion (Finely diced).
• 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (Divided, cut into tiny bits to dot inside each pasty for extra richness).
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper (Generous amounts; traditional pasties are heavily peppered).
• 1 large Egg (Beaten with a splash of milk, for egg wash).

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Pastry Dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and lard. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the fats into the flour quickly until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Gradually drizzle in the ice-cold water, mixing gently with a knife or your hands until the dough comes together into a cohesive ball. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the Filling Ingredients

1. While the dough chills, prepare your filling. Ensure your beef, potatoes, swede, and onions are all diced to a uniform small size (about 1/4-inch). This ensures they cook at the exact same rate inside the pastry shell. In a large bowl, toss the diced vegetables and beef together. Season generously with salt and a heavy hand of freshly ground black pepper.

Step 3: Roll and Cut the Pastry

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide your chilled pastry dough into four equal portions. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each portion out into a circle roughly 8 to 9 inches in diameter. You can use an inverted dinner plate as a template to trim the edges into a neat circle.

Step 4: Assemble the Pasties

1. Divide the raw meat and vegetable mixture evenly among the center of the four pastry circles, piling it slightly on one half while leaving a clear border around the edge. Dot a small piece of butter right on top of each mound of filling.

Step 5: Crimp the Edges

1. Brush the exposed outer edge of the pastry circle lightly with cold water. Fold the empty half of the pastry over the filling to create a half-moon shape, pressing the edges together firmly to seal. To traditionalists, the crimp is everything: fold the sealed edge over onto itself in a neat, rope-like twisted pattern along the side (not the top) of the pasty. This iconic side-crimp ensures the pasty stays securely sealed during baking.

Step 6: Egg Wash and Bake

1. Transfer the assembled pasties carefully to your prepared baking sheet. Brush each pasty thoroughly with the beaten egg wash to give them a gorgeous golden-brown shine upon baking. Cut a tiny steam vent into the top of each pasty crust.
2. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes , then reduce the oven temperature down to 350°F (175°C) and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes .
3. (Chef’s Intensity & Doneness Note: Watch for a deep golden-brown crust and gentle bubbling at the steam vent. The internal vegetables must be completely tender when pierced with a skewer. If your oven tends to run hot, check at the 45-minute total mark to prevent over-browning.)

Step 7: Rest and Serve

1. Remove the pasties from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving. The internal juices need this resting time to settle into a rich gravy consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 680 kcal · Protein: 24g · Fat: 38g · Carbohydrates: 62g · Fiber: 5g · Sugar: 4g · Sodium: 580mg