Yooper Pasty

YOOPER PASTIES FOR SIX

Some of you have been looking for this. Here is our favorite pasty recipe, originally posted by Christine Lattrel.

1 cup lard (Crisco will work, but lard is preferred. Some people use butter)

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 cup very cold water

1 ½ lbs. raw pasty meat (about)

NOTE: Pasty meat is typically ¾ coarse ground beef to ¼ coarse ground pork, but I've heard of other things being used...including venison, beef steak, chicken, and fish. The attached photo shows a (rare) leftover prime sirloin roast being cubed (YP2).

4 to 5 diced potatoes

1 small diced rutabaga

NOTE: If fresh rutabaga is not available, canned diced rutabaga (drained) will work. Some will leave rutabaga out entirely, but “Pasty Purists” insist on including it! (YP2).

1 small diced onion

Diced carrots--Yoopers disagree about the carrots. But you decide.

Salt and pepper

Mix the lard, salt and flour together until it looks about pea size with a pastry blender if you have one, or just cut with 2 knives crisscrossed.

Add the cold water and mix just until it all sticks together. Don't overwork it or your crust will be tough.

Refrigerate the dough while making the filling. This is enough to make a 13x9 pan pasty pie--or 5 to 6 individual pasties.

Mix the filling together, adding salt and pepper to taste.

NOTE: I add a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce to the filling for extra flavor (YP2).

DO NOT PRE-COOK THE MEAT! That would be like pre-cooking hamburger before baking a meatloaf! The meat will be thoroughly cooked when the pasties are baked; its juices help keep the filling moist.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Take about a tennis ball sized piece of dough and roll it out on a counter dusted with flour. Turn it and roll some more. I use an 8" salad plate and lay my crust on it and then place the filling on half. Top the filling with a pat of butter. Use a little water on your fingers on the bottom half of the edge of the crust. Then flip the top half over and press it down. The water will make the top half stick to the bottom. Cut off any excess crust hanging over your plate and flute or fork the edge. Make a small vent hole in the top of each pasty. Brush the tops with some milk or egg wash--it will make the crust brown better. Remove dough from refrigerator. Take about a tennis ball sized piece of dough and roll it out on a counter dusted with flour. Turn it and roll some more. I use an 8" salad plate and lay my crust on it and then place the filling on half. Top the filling with a pat of butter. Use a little water on your fingers on the bottom half of the edge of the crust. Then flip the top half over and press it down. The water will make the top half stick to the bottom. Cut off any excess crust hanging over your plate and flute or fork the edge. Make a small vent hole in the top of each pasty. Brush the tops with some milk or egg wash--it will make the crust brown better.

Bake these for 1 hour 15 minutes at 375 degrees F

I will test one to see if the rutabagas are done because they take the longest to cook and the smaller you cut them the quicker they will cook.

The biggest debate comes with the garnish. Ketchup; gravy; butter; chow chow relish; or nothing at all: your choice. Enjoy!

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