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Cornish Pasties

To be a true Cornish pasty, they must meet the following requirements: The pasty has to be made in Cornwall. They can only contain beef, potato, rutabaga, onion, salt and pepper.  No other meat, no other vegetables, no other seasonings. The ingredients must be raw when the pasties are assembled and then slowly baked to produce the traditional Cornish pasty flavor and texture. The edges of the pasties must be sealed by crimping them in traditional Cornish fashion.
While I have failed with not living in Cornwall, England, the crimping, and the addition of beef gravy; the taste is 100% there. I’ve been making pasties for over 30 years since I was a child, and do consider myself an expert in this field. They do take a bit of work to make, but are well worth the effort. Any leftover pasties can be frozen and reheated in the oven.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British, Michigan
Keyword: American, Beef, British, European, main course, Michigan
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • food processor
  • rolling pin
  • pasty press

Ingredients

Filling

  • 1 lb sirloin tip, top round, or top sirloin trimmed; cut into 1/4” cubes
  • 1 lb potatoes peeled; cut into 1/4” cubes
  • 8 oz rutabaga cut into 1/4” cubes
  • 1 cup yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • unsalted butter diced into cubes
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • beef gravy for serving

Pasty Dough

  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 oz butter chilled; diced
  • 4 oz lard chilled
  • 2/3 cup ice water

Instructions

  • Mix together the beef, potatoes, rutabaga, onion, flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
  • Add the flour, salt, cold butter, and cold lard to a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Slowly add in the ice water. Pulse until incorporated.
  • Knead the dough on a floured surface. Cut into 4 equal pieces.
  • Roll a dough portion to an 1/8” thick.
  • Lay the rolled dough over the patty press. Scoop a cup’s worth of filling into the center. Add a tbsp of diced butter over the filling.
  • Fold over and crimp. Alternatively, if you don’t have a pasty press, take a plate and place over the rolled out dough. Using a knife, cut around the plate to get a circular piece of dough. Scoop the filling and butter in the center. Carefully fold one side of the dough to the other and crimp with a fork.
  • Lay the pasties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each pasty with the beaten egg wash.
  • Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 40-50 minutes until golden brown.
  • Ladle over a scoop of beef gravy for serving.