If you’ve ever been to Michigan’s U.P. you know exactly how tasty these are!

These hearty, handheld pies are filled with a savory mixture of meat and vegetables encased in a flaky, buttery crust, making them a perfect portable meal or snack.

Meat Pasty

Ingredients:

Pastry Ingredients:

Filling Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Prepare the pastry: In a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and shortening (or lard).
2. Pulse in the food processor for 10-15 seconds, or use your fingertips to rub the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pebbles of butter remaining.
3. With the food processor running (or while stirring by hand), slowly drizzle in 2/3 cup of ice water and pulse (or stir) until a dough ball just begins to form. If the mixture seems too dry, add more ice water, 1-2 teaspoons at a time, until the dough comes together.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll it into a large, flat rectangle.
5. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes, or until it is well chilled.
6. Prepare the filling: While the dough is chilling, in a medium bowl, combine the ground beef (or finely chopped skirt steak), diced potato, diced turnip, finely diced carrot, and chopped white onion. Season the mixture generously with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, chopped fresh thyme, and chopped fresh rosemary.
7. Preheat your oven to 400º F (200º C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and cut it into 6 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough out into an 8-inch circle.
9. Spoon approximately ½ – ⅔ cup of the beef and vegetable mixture into the center of each dough circle. Top each filling with ½ tablespoon of unsalted butter.
10. Take one edge of the dough circle and fold it over the filling towards the opposite edge to form a half-moon shape. Crimp and seal the edges of the pasty firmly with a fork to prevent the filling from escaping during baking. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling.
11. Transfer the assembled pasties to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of each pasty with the lightly beaten egg.
12. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the pasties are lightly browned. Then, lower the oven temperature to 350º F (175º C) and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, or until the pasties are golden brown and the filling is cooked through.
13. Serve the meat pasties hot, garnished with brown mustard on the side for dipping. Enjoy!