Cornish Beef Pasties
These Cornish Beef Pasties are a hearty, traditional “hand-held” meal with deep roots in British mining history. The pastry is designed to be sturdy yet buttery, perfectly encasing a savory mixture of beef, tender potatoes, and aromatic herbs. By browning the meat and softening the vegetables before they hit the dough, you ensure every bite is deeply flavored and perfectly cooked through, while the three slits on top allow steam to escape for a perfectly crisp crust.
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Cornish Beef Pasties
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Amount |
| For the Dough: | |
| All-purpose flour | 3 cups |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Unsalted butter, chilled | 1/2 cup (1 stick) |
| Cold water | 1/2 cup |
| Egg yolks (divided) | 2 |
| For the Filling: | |
| Ground beef (or chopped roast) | 1 lb |
| Waxy potatoes (Red or Yukon Gold), diced | 1 lb |
| Carrots, peeled and diced | 2 |
| Small onion, diced | 1 |
| Worcestershire sauce | 2 tablespoons |
| Garlic, minced | 2 cloves |
| Dried rosemary | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Dried thyme | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Kosher salt and black pepper | To taste |
How To Make Cornish Beef Pasties:
Step 1: Mix the Pastry: Whisk together the flour and salt. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces and work it into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture looks crumbly. Whisk 1 egg yolk with the cold water, add it to the flour, and mix until incorporated. Knead the dough briefly on a clean surface until it comes together, then wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
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Step 2: Sauté the Filling: Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with salt and pepper. Remove the meat to a bowl. In the same pan, cook the potatoes, onion, and carrots for 6/8 minutes until mostly soft. Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme for 1 minute, then stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
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Step 3: Combine and Cool: Mix the vegetables with the beef and let the filling cool to room temperature.
Important: Never fill your dough with hot mixture, or it will melt the butter in the pastry and become soggy.
Step 4: Roll and Fill: Divide the dough into 6 portions and roll each into a 3/8-inch thick circle. Wet the edges with water. Spoon the beef mixture over one-half of each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
Step 5: Seal and Vent: Fold the dough over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Transfer to a lined baking sheet. Cut 3 small slits in the top of each pasty to allow steam to escape.
Step 6: Egg Wash and Bake: Whisk the remaining egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of water and brush over the pasties. Bake for 30/40 minutes until they are a deep golden brown.
