Traditional Cornish pasty with beef and swede

Ingredients

Pastry

• 350 g plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 200 g cold unsalted butter, grated on the large holes of a box grater
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 4-6 tbsp ice-cold water

Filling

• 500 g skirt beef, trimmed and diced small (1 cm)
• 250 g swede, peeled and diced small
• 250 g potato, peeled and diced small
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• Salt + black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten (wash)

Method

1. Pastry. Mix flour and salt. Toss in grated butter to coat. Add vinegar and water. Bring together gently. Wrap. Rest 30 minutes in the fridge.
2. Filling. Combine beef, swede, potato, onion. Season generously. The seasoning does a lot of the work.
3. Roll. Roll pastry to 3 mm thick. Cut rounds 18 cm across.
4. Fill. Pile filling on one half of each round, leaving a border. Don’t overfill.
5. Crimp. Fold the empty half over. Crimp the edge firmly with thumb and forefinger in 12 folds. Lay pasties on a tray, crimp side up.
6. Wash. Brush generously with beaten egg.
7. Bake. 200°C for 15 minutes, then 170°C for 30 minutes until golden brown.
8. Cool. Rest 10 minutes before eating — the filling stays scorching for ages.

Tips

• Skirt beef, not chuck. The traditional cut for pasty meat. Tough-looking but tender after baking.
• Rough-puff, not shortcrust. Flakier, more forgiving. Don’t overwork.
• Crimp on the side, not the top. The classic 12-crimp seal is for cooling and identifying.