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Proper Pastys!

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. Ingredients (for short crust pastry):

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• . 1lb plain flour
• . 1/4 lb of butter
• . 1/4 lb of margerine
• . A pinch of salt
• . Cold water to mix

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. Method:

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• . Rub the butter amd magerine into the flour.
• . Add the salt.
• . Add the water gradually until
• . the pasty works into a ball without becoming sticky.
• . Put aside in a cool place.
• . Store pastry for 30 minutes.

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. Ingredients (for filling):

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• . 1/2 lb sirloin steak.
• . 2 lbs of potato
• . 1/2 lb of swede
• . 1 medium onion onion
• . salt and pepper to taste
• . Knob of butter

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. Tip:

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. Try not to "over fill" the pasty.

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. This is a common mistake when first making pastys

. and results in the pastys casing splitting.

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. Use the best beef available.

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. Pastys are often made with stewing beef, however,

. if you try making them with Sirloin steak you will be a convert!

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. Try to keep the meat content at around 15% to 20%.

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. Method:

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• . Tenderise the meat as if you were going to serve it as a steak.
• . Then cut the steak into small, thin, pieces (do not mince).
• . Slice potato and swede into thin, small pieces
• . about half an inch square.
• . Chop onion finely.
• . Dust your work surface with flour.
• . Roll out the pastry to about 1/4 inch thickness.
• . Place a small plate on your pastry and cut around it to make
• . your pasty shape.
• . Moisten the edge of the pastry with milk.
• . Place a small layer of prepared vegetables in the pasty.
• . Then add a thin layer of the steak.
• . Sprinkle sparingly with salt and pepper to taste then add a
• . small knob of butter.
• . Sprinkle a dusting of flour over the filling (this helps to
• . thicken the gravy).
• . Fold the other half of pastry over the filling and
• . squeeze the two half circle edges firmly together.
• . Repeat this process all along the edge to get a good seal.
• . Brush pasty with beaten egg to brown the surface.
• . Bake in a hot oven 220 degrees centigrade for about 20
• . minutes then reduce temperature to 160 degrees centigrade
• . for a further 40 minutes.

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. Note: The smaller the pasties the less time they need to cook.