Cornish Pasties

Cornish Pasties are like a hand held version of a meat pie. You can eat them with a knife and fork too but according to the PGI they can only be filled with beef, potato, turnip and onion and the only seasoning can be salt and pepper. They’re then folded into a D shape and baked. The rules are strict, but only if you’re planning to sell them so there’s no need to worry about making them at home.

Cornish Pasties originated in the county of Cornwall, England. Pasty is pronounced with a short “a” vowel so it rhymes with nasty, not tasty. Which is unfair. And ironic since they’re pretty good! And yes, it’s Pasty, not pastry. The short version of the story behind Cornish Pasties goes like this. Men who worked in the mines brought them for lunches because they could easily be eaten by hand. The edges of the pastry were left thick and large enough to be used as a handle and then tossed, since the men wouldn’t have anywhere to wash their hands. They were filling enough to satisfy a miner working a long shift yet small enough to be easily portable.

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Who doesn’t love pub food? Well, I sure do. I had my first Cornish Pasty in an Irish pub in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’s been on my list to make for a long time and I’ve finally gotten around to sharing the recipe.

What if I don’t want to make pastry?

Don’t even worry about it. If you aren’t up for making your own, you can buy frozen pie shells which are just about the right size. Dust your counter with flour, remove the crust from the foil pan and trim off the raised edge. Don’t try to fold them until the dough has warmed up to room temperature, otherwise it will break.

But don’t let the thought of making pastry scare you off from making Cornish Pasties. The dough is quite easy to work with. In fact, you can reuse the trimmings to roll out additional circles that are just as good as the first ones. This shortcrust dough has lots of butter and when baked is light and flaky.

A food processor is the quickest way to make pastry. Pulse everything together until it’s a rough mess, not completely combined. Then pour onto some plastic wrap, press together and seal well. Like most pastry dough, short crust likes to have a chill before rolling out. And I mean chill both literally and figuratively. Cooling and letting the dough rest is best for optimal results. You only need to give it about half an hour, long enough to get the filling ready. You can leave it in the fridge for a few hours or even over night but it needs to sit at room temperature for a bit before rolling out, otherwise your dough will fall apart and crack easily at the edges.

What are Cornish Pasties filled with?

The traditional beef in Cornish Pasties is skirt steak. Make sure to cut the meat against the grain into strips before cutting into cubes because it can be a bit tough. I wouldn’t recommend beef brisket. I learned that from experience so you don’t have to. It was too tough. Strip loin steak works well too and has a nice flavour. The meat goes in raw but I have to admit, I’ve used leftover roast beef and it’s a pretty good back up plan.

In addition to beef, the rest of the filling is simply onion, turnip (or rutabaga or swede depending on where you live) and potatoes. Season well with salt and pepper. There’s no liquid in the filling, otherwise it would leak out and make the pastry soggy.

Pile the filling on one half of your pastry circles, leaving a little room at the edge. It’s tempting to load up the pasties with lots of filling but you need to be able to seal them too so it’s a balance. Top with a few dabs of butter and a little sprinkle of flour. Brush some egg wash around the outer edge, then carefully fold in half and press down to seal the edges.

The traditional Cornish Pasty edge is rolled or folded over then crimped to ensure it stays together during baking. I like to use a roll and squeeze method. Lay your pasties on a baking sheet with parchment paper and make a few small dents in the top to allow steam to release while baking. Give them a good brush with the remaining egg wash. This way you get a really nice shiny golden pastry.

Make sure you let your Cornish Pasties cool after coming out of the oven. This way the filling will set just enough that it doesn’t tumble out when you cut into it. Just like a fruit pie, a little flour and butter help thicken and set the filling. There isn’t a lot of moisture inside. I wouldn’t exactly call them dry but we enjoy them with a little chili sauce.

If you make Cornish Pasties, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:

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