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The traditional Cornish pasty: beef, potato and swede in crimped shortcrust pastry.
The Cornish pasty carries real history, once tucked into the pockets of Cornish tin miners to eat underground. Beef skirt, potato, swede and onion go in raw, sealed inside sturdy pastry, then slow-bake together until everything turns deeply savoury. It is a whole meal you can hold in one hand.
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Prep 30 min
Cook 50 min
Total 80 min
Medium
Scale:
- 500g, plus extra to dust Plain Flour
- 125g, cubed Cold butter
- 125g, cubed Lard or shortening
- 150ml Cold Water
- 350g, finely diced Beef skirt or chuck
- 250g, peeled and diced small Potato
- 150g, peeled and diced small Swede
- 1, finely chopped Onion
- to taste Salt and plenty of black pepper
- 1, beaten, to glaze Egg
Tags:
beef pastry lunch british cornishPreparation
- Start with the pastry: rub the butter and lard into the flour with a pinch of salt until crumbly, then stir in just enough cold water to bring it together into a firm dough. Wrap it and chill for 30 minutes.
- Mix the diced beef, potato, swede and onion in a bowl with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Divide the pastry into 4 and roll each piece into a circle about 20cm wide.
- Pile the filling onto one half of each circle. Brush the edges with water, fold the pastry over and crimp the edge tightly to seal it into the classic pasty shape.
- Sit them on a lined tray, brush all over with beaten egg and cut a small slit in the top of each.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until deep golden. Let them cool for 10 minutes before eating.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Dice the filling small and to an even size so it all cooks through by the time the pastry has coloured.
- Be generous with the seasoning. A traditional pasty filling is well peppered.
- Keep the pastry cold and let it rest before rolling so it does not shrink back in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beef skirt is the authentic choice for its flavour and texture, though chuck steak works well too.
You can, but the mix of butter and lard gives that sturdy traditional pastry which holds its shape.
Yes. Freeze them unbaked and cook from frozen at a slightly lower temperature for longer, or freeze them cooked and reheat.
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