Pasties

If you grew up in Michigan you know about these yummy little meat pockets.  I am not a Yooper so this is not a recipe passed on from generations and a true Yooper would probably scold me for some of the changes I made.  Pasties have lots of history.  The Michigan pasty started when Cornish miners settled into the region.  Other ethnic groups quickly began making these portable meat pies because they were an easy way to get a hot balanced meal down in the mines.  That is a seriously summed up history, but you get the gist of it :)

Technically you can put anything in these little dinner pies.  I chose to use a combination of ground beef and ground pork with vegetables. You can make them vegetarian, use chicken, stew meat, or any other combination you see fit.  I also did another no-no by adding carrots and seasoning, but hey it's what I like.  Traditionally they are eaten with ketchup, but we like ours smothered in a gravy (another tell tale sign I am nit a Yooper).

The best part about these handy little meat pies is that you can make a large batch and freeze some for a quick hearty meal later on.  I strongly suggest doing it this way and my recipe makes 16 large pasties so if you don't want extras I suggest scaling down the recipe.  

Pasties

7 cups all purpose flour

1 TBS salt

2 cups shortening

2 cups cold water

3 lbs ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1 TBS garlic powder

1/2 tsp marjoram

2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp sage

2 tsp salt

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced small

1/2 rutabaga, peeled and diced small

4 carrots, peeled and diced small

2 onions, diced small

1 stick of butter

• In a large bowl combine flour and 1 TBS salt
• Cut in shortening until mixture has a texture of coarse crumbs
• Stir in water and fully combine
• Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best)
• In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients (except butter) and mix well (I add all the vegetable and seasoning and mix well to coat then add the meat and combine using my hands)
• Divide the dough into 16 equal balls (cut the large ball in 4 equal pieces, reshape the 4 pieces into balls, and cut each ball into 4 equal pieces)
• On a lightly floured surface roll dough into circles about 1/8-inch thick (I do this one at a time, fill then repeat)
• Add about 1 cup filling on the bottom half of the circle, put two small pats of butter on top, fold over to seal, crimp the edges, and poke 3 times with a fork to vent (or cut slits if you prefer)
• ****HERE is a great video on how to crimp a pasty****
• Repeat until all the pasties are complete
• Place pasties on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 60-75 minutes
• To freeze: bake through, allow to cool completely, wrap in aluminum foil, place in a ziploc bag, and label
• To reheat from frozen: Bake frozen pasties wrapped in foil in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, remove foil, and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until heated through
• I smother mine in beef gravy, but traditionally they are served with a side of ketchup...try both and see what you like!

There you have it.  Pasties!  Yum!  Like I said I am in no way implying these are traditional, but they sure are delicious!  And as an added bonus I have 4 meals for the family in my freezer ready to go.  Can't beat that!

Below is the nutritional information per pasty.  This recipe yields 16 pasties.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 311 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 729 Calories from Fat 345

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 38.3g 59%

Saturated Fat 13.9g 70%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 112mg 37%

Sodium 718mg 30%

Total Carbohydrates 54.1g 18%

Dietary Fiber 3.5g 14%

Sugars 2.7g

Protein 40.5g

Vitamin A 55% • Vitamin C 15% Calcium 4% • Iron 36%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Low in sugar
• High in selenium

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