Looking for a savory, satisfying dinner idea? Try our Pork Tenderloin Sandwich or Homemade Sloppy Joes next! If you have never had a pasty (rhymes with nasty), it’s handheld British comfort food that first originated back in the 12th century. You may have heard about them in Harry Potter or seen them on the Great British Bake-Off! Pasties were popular with miners because they could hold the thick edge crust with dirty fingers, then throw the uneaten edge piece into the mine to appease any ghosts who might live there. Clever housewives would put their husband’s initials on top of their pasty so they knew whose was whose when it was time to eat. Eventually, many of those miners immigrated to Michigan, where Cornish pasties are so well-loved that there are dedicated pasty shops and they have become the unofficial state dish. There is even an annual festival celebrating the humble pasty! It’s why I had to include them in my collection of Michigan-inspired recipes for my American Eats series where I’m making some of the most popular foods from each state, one at a time.
Why This Recipe Works
These are great made a day ahead. You can reheat in the oven or air fryer to warm them up, or just serve them cold or at room temperature.There are hundreds of ways you can fill these tasty pockets of flaky pastry crust filled with savory goodness, but the classic Cornish approach is with beef, potatoes, onions, and rutabaga, turnip, or parsnip.
Ingredient Notes
Beef: Skirt steak or sirloin steak is cut into small, bite-size pieces for traditional pasties. Ground beef can work in a pinch though if that’s all you have on hand.Vegetables: A real, authentic Cornish pasty uses what they call a “Swede” or “turnip” but we here in the states know as a rutabaga as the principal veggie. But in pasty-obsessed Michigan, you might see carrot, turnip, or parsnip used instead.Potatoes: We like waxy potatoes like Yukon Golds or red potatoes for making pasties. They hold their shape and don’t break down as much as russett potatoes during the baking process.Fat for the crust: A true, traditional Cornish pasty would be made with lard in the crust. I used a combination of butter and shortening instead, mostly because I don’t like the flavor that lard gives.
How to Make this Recipe
Start with your pastry by combining flour, salt, butter, and shortening in a large food processor (affiliate link) and pulsing until it the butter and shortening are the size of small peas. This can also be done by hand using a pastry cutter. Add cold water, a little at a time, until the dough comes together, then divide it into discs and let it rest in the fridge until you are ready to roll it out. Lightly flour a clean surface, then roll out one disc of pastry dough at a time. Fill ½ of the circle of pasty dough with finely diced potato, rutabaga, and onion, then season them with salt and pepper. Top the potatoes with your finely diced skirt steak and season again with salt and pepper. I don’t mix them because I like having the meat on top so the sharper corners of the hard vegetables don’t poke through my crust as I’m shaping the pasties. Fold the crust over to encase the meat, then use your fingers to fold the bottom crust over the top crust along the edges, crimping as you go. You could also just crimp with a fork, but it’s not traditional. My crimping technique definitely has room for improvement, but it’s kind of a fun thing to try! Transfer the finished pasties to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with a simple egg wash, then slice a small gash in the top to vent steam while the pasty bakes. Bake for 45-55 minutes until they are golden brown on the outside, then remove and cool a bit before enjoying!
Recipe Tips
Freezing: These can be frozen baked or unbaked. If freezing the unbaked pasties, don’t bother thawing them first. Instead, just add another 15-20 minutes to the baking time. They freeze well for 2-3 months.Meat on top: If you roll your pastry dough too thin, you run the risk of it tearing when you fold it over the fillings, especially if there are poky pieces of rutabaga or potato. That’s why the meat always goes on top!Proper crimping technique: You could crimp the edges with a fork, but the traditional way is to twist them closed. To be considered a proper cornish pastry, they are supposed to have at least 17 but no more than 21 crimps! Although technically they are also supposed to be made in Cornwall as well…
More Recipes Like This
The BEST Homemade Chicken Pot Pie RecipeThe Pioneer Woman’s Cowboy QuicheShepherd’s PieBeef Steak Pie
Adapted from Hedgecombers. Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
