Housewifery - Cornish Pasties

Don’t know how many of your ancestors were from the Cornish coast of England, the southerneasternmost part of England, often called the English Riviera, but if they were then perhaps you know one of their baked delicacies...the Cornish Pasty.

Tradition tells us that these were made as a lunch, or ‘crib’, for the tin miners in Cornwall because they had to stay in the mine to eat their lunch. The story goes that the miners would, covered with dirt from the mine, hold the folded pasty by the crust and eat all but that bit, throwing that away. The crust that was discarded was said to appease the ‘knockers’, or spirits in the mine, therefore allowing the miners to work in safety. A related tradition tells that Cornish fishermen who took the pasties to sea to eat were plagued with bad luck.

The pasty’s dense, folded pastry is said to keep warm eight to ten hours, therefore allowing the miners a hot meal for their lunches, and when the miners carried the pasties close to their bodies while they worked, the miners would stay warm in the dank, cold mines.

Some mines kept ovens to keep the pasties warm until lunch time, and it was said that a good pasty should be strong enough to endure the drop from a mine shaft to the mine floor.

The pasty is filled with meat and vegetables (traditionally potatoes and swede, which is the Cornish name for rutabaga), each with a pastry compartment of its own. In some cases a pasty was filled with vegetables and meat at one end and stewed fruit at the other, so that the miner had not only the main meal but the desert all in one piece.

Pasties have always been popular in Devon, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland, and Brittany, and these hand-made delicacies are still sold in speciality shops and bakeries in the United Kingdom. The commercial, mass-produced pasty today does not resemble the traditional pasty, but they are often eaten on the move, like many other fast-food items.

Pasties are quite similar to the empanadas of Latin America, although empanadas are usually made without potatoes and are often fried rather than baked.

Here is a recipe for the Cornish pasty:

Filling:

1 pound trimmed round or flank steak
3 medium potatoes, peeled
1 small onion, peeled
1 small rutabaga or turnip, peeled
3 tablespoons parsley, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon catsup
1 beef bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon salt
garlic powder

Trim steak of all fat and cut it into bite sized cubes. Dice all the vegetables into uniform cubes. Use about 2 cups meat and 2 cups potato to 1 cup each of onion and rutabaga.

Mix steak, vegetables and seasonings well; add enough water to cover, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 crushed beef bouillon cube and 1 tablespoon catsup. Stir well. Refrigerate about 1 hour.

5 minutes before making up pasties, drain mixture in a colander.

Meanwhile, prepare the dough.

Dough:

3 cups flour
1 cup lard
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ice water
additional butter

Combine flour, lard, butter, salt and ice water, working together with a fork or cold fingertips (run your hands under cold water and dry).

Roll out dough for either 2 8 inch pies or 6 5-6 inch circles.

Dot mixture with butter and sprinkle with a small amount of ice water.

Sprinkle mixture with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Place 1/4 cup filling onto one side of rolled out dough (an oval shape is easier to work with than a circle). Fold the dough over the filling and press the edges together, crimping them well. You can paint edges with a few drops of water prior to sealing to help make a better seal.

Bake pasties at 375˚F for 45 minutes or until they are golden brown and the contents are tender.

If browning too rapidly, reduce temperature to 350˚F and cover lightly with foil.

Pasties can be served hot or cold and are great for lunches and picnics!

©2009 Sue Seibert