WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
These handheld savory turnovers, traditionally eaten as quick but hearty lunches in England, should be rich, flaky, and moist. They can vary a bit in their filling components, but they nearly always include rutabagas or turnips. For the best version, we tossed the uncooked meat (skirt steak) and vegetables (onion, rutabaga, and potato) with a little flour before wrapping the filling tightly in our dough rounds.
The flour combined with the filling’s exuded juices as the pasties baked to create the flavorful gravy right inside the crust. We didn’t want to stray very far from the pasties’ roots, but we did add some garlic and fresh thyme to punch up the flavor of the filling. To ensure easy dough
assembly, we used sour cream to make it both pliable and rip-resistant. If you can’t find skirt steak, you can use 1½ pounds of blade steak; the extra ¼ pound accounts for the trimming required with the blade cut. The pasties fit best on the baking sheet when placed crosswise in two rows of three.
SERVES: 6
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS:
CRUST:
- 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
- ⅔ cup sour cream, chilled
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
FILLING:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1¼ pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 10 ounces rutabaga, trimmed, peeled, and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 10 ounces russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
INSTRUCTIONS:
- FOR THE CRUST:
- Whisk sour cream and egg together in small bowl.
- Process flour and salt in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds.
- Add butter and pulse until only pea-size pieces remain, about 10 pulses.
- Add half of sour cream mixture and pulse until combined, about 5 pulses.
- Add remaining sour cream mixture and pulse until dough begins to form, about 15 pulses.
- Transfer mixture to lightly floured counter and knead briefly until dough comes together.
- Form dough into 6-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; let chilled dough sit on counter for 15 minutes to soften before rolling.)
- FOR THE FILLING:
- Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Add onion and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in thyme and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Combine cooled onion mixture, steak, rutabaga, potatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper in bowl.
- Add flour and toss to coat.
- ADJUST OVEN RACK TO UPPER-MIDDLE POSITION AND HEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREE:
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from refrigerator, cut into 6 equal pieces (about 5 ounces each), and cover with plastic wrap.
- Divide filling into 6 equal portions, about 1 heaping cup each.
- WORKING WITH 1 PIECE OF DOUGH AT A TIE, ROLL INTO 10 BY 8-INCH OVAL(ABOUT 1/8 INCH THICK) FLOURED COUNTER:
- Place 1 portion filling in center of dough.
- Moisten edges of dough with water, then fold narrow end of oval over filling to form half-moon shape.
- Press dough around filling to adhere.
- TRIM ANY RAGGED EDGES,THEN CRIMP EDGES WITH FORK TO SEAL AND TRANSFER TO PREPARED SHEET:
- (For more decorative edge, trim any ragged edges and, starting at 1 end, pinch and slightly twist dough diagonally across seam between your thumb and index finger. Continue pinching and twisting dough around seam.)
- Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- USING PARING KNIFE, CUT 1-INCH VENT HOLE ON TOP OF EACH PASTY:
- Whisk egg and 2 teaspoons water together in bowl.
- Brush pasties with egg wash.
- Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling up through vent hole, about 45 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- Transfer pasties to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
