Traditional English Beef Potato Picnic Pies Pasties Food

ENGLISH PASTIES

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening. Add enough water or milk to moisten dry ingredients. Shape into a ball. Cover and set aside. , For filling, toss together beef, pork, potatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Divide the pastry in half and roll each into a 10-in. circle. Divide the filling over the center of each pastry; dot each with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Fold pastry over the filling, sealing edges tightly. Cut slits in the top of the pasties. If desired, brush tops with egg. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes. Spoon 1 teaspoon water per pastry in slits. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 15 minutes longer or until golden.

BEEF & POTATO HAND PIES (CORNISH PASTIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Roll out pie crusts and use a 8-9" tart pan or other pan, inverted, to cut the dough into 4 large circles. You may have to reform and roll the dough between cuttings to get all four circles. Lay 2 dough circles on each parchment lined baking sheet.
• Pile about 1 1/2 cups of the meat and potato mixture (with juices) onto one half of each dough circle. Spread evenly over that half of the dough circle, leaving about 1/2" rim around the edge for crimping. Sprinkle some sea salt and pepper over the meat and potato mixture.
• Use a pastry brush to brush the 1/2" rim of pastry with some of the beaten egg - this will serve as "glue" to seal the pastry edges.
• Gently fold the "blank" side of each dough circle over the meat and potato filling side, matching the edges of the pastry to create a half-circle shaped hand pie. Use your finger to press and seal the edges of the pastry together, fluting them for decoration if desired.
• Once each hand pie is formed, use a very sharp knife to lightly score the top of each pie.
• Use a pastry brush to cover the surface of each hand pie with beaten egg.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crusts are golden and firm to the touch.

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH BEEF & POTATO PICNIC PIES - PASTIES

Steps:

• First peel and cut your potatoes into even size chunks & then boil for about 15-20 minutes or until very tender, but not too mushy.
• Drain the potatoes and add the milk, butter, salt & pepper to taste.
• Mash very well with a potato masher or using a hand-held mixer.
• Mash/mix until there are no lumps left.
• The mashed potato should be smooth but fairly firm and not too soft.
• Heat up the oil in a large roomy pan and add the diced onions. Add the garlic if using with the onions.
• Cook the onions for about 15-20 minutes, until soft and golden.
• Remove the onions and set to one side in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the minced beef, adding a bit more oil if necessary. Stir the minced beef all the time to break down any lumps. Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes until cooked & brown all the way through.
• Add the tinned tomatoes, soy sauce, herbs, tomato puree if using and a good twist of freshly ground black pepper. Mix together thoroughly.
• Continue to simmer and add the beef stock - stirring all the time for a further 5 minutes.
• Take off the heat and add the beef mixture to the onions.
• Mix them together thoroughly & then add the mashed potatoes - mix again well.
• Allow to cool slightly.
• Pre-heat the oven to 220C, 425F or gas mark 7.
• Grease 6 x 5" pie tins OR 1 x 9" ovenproof pie plate.
• Sprinkle some flour onto a board and roll out the ready-made puff pastry.
• Taking a saucer or a large cookie cutter, cut out six x bottoms for the pie tins, just slightly larger than the tins. (Invert the pie plate & cut around it for a plate pie.).
• Put the pastry bottoms into the buttered tins (or on to the buttered plate) and fill generously with the beef and potato pie filling.
• Cut out the lid/s and moisten the edges of the bottom pastry case with water; then place the lid/s on top - making sure they reach right up to the edge.
• Crimp the edges of the pastry with a fork or your fingers to make a seal.
• Cut two slits on top of the pies with a knife or scissors.
• Glaze with the beaten egg (or milk) and sprinkle some sea salt.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25- 30 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.
• Serve warm or cold with pickles, chutneys and assorted salads.
• Ideal for picnics, snacks, light lunches & brunch.
• Freezer:.
• To freeze them, pack them with greaseproof paper between each pie in a freezer container. Defrost for at least 6 hours. Can be frozen before the final baking or after being baked. To cook when unbaked, defrost them & then follow the directions above.

PASTIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160c for a fan forced oven or 180c for non fan forced.
• Seperate pastry sheets and defrost. Using the largest dinner plate that will fit on the pastry square, cut circles.
• Mix filling ingredients together and divide into 5.
• Place 1/5th of the mixture along the centre of a pastry circle, then moisten edges with water and bring together crimping to seal.
• Repeat with remaining 4 circles of pastry.
• Place on a baking tray and brush with the glaze; cut a small hole in pastry to allow steam to escape.
• Cook in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden.

BEEF TENDERLOIN PIE

Steps:

• Saute garlic, onion, carrot and celery in 1T. olive oil & 1 T. butter. Add raw or cooked pieces of tenderloin and cook till heated thru or brown.
• Add beef stock and bring to a boil.
• Add diced potatoes.
• Reduce heat and simmer on low for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Combine flour and butter into a paste and add to mixture.
• Stir for 5 more minutes until thick.
• Season with Salt, pepper, tarragon and parsley.
• Pour into unbaked pie shell.
• Top with second pie crust, crimp edges and make air slits.
• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

BEEF & BEER PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200.C.
• Saute onion & bacon until onion softens & bacon is cooked, set aside.
• Add mince to pan and cook until browned, add mushrooms and cook until soft.
• Return onion & bacon to pan and add flour, cook stirring for 3 minutes.
• Add wine & beer & simmer until most of the liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency.
• Add worcestershire sauce & parsley.
• Spoon mixture into individual pie dishes, cover with pastry, (brush with egg or milk if you like) & bake about 20 mins or until pastry is well risen, golden & crisp.
• NB/ If you choose to make fully enclosed pies, pastry top & bottom, allow mixture to cool before spooning into pastry otherwise it will become soggy.

POTATO AND BEEF PIE

Steps:

• Boil potatoes until they are soft when pierced with a fork; Drain and place in a large bowl.
• Beat with a mixer on medium speed while adding milk; Do not overbeat as you want them mashed but still a little lumpy.
• Add garlic powder, salt and pepper to the potatoes (I also add some butter).
• Put half of the potatoes in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.
• Combine meat with onions and evenly distribute on top of potatoes and sprinkle cheese on top of meat.
• Spread the rest of the potatoes on top of the cheese.
• Sprinkle all with bread crumbs to cover and dot with butter pats.
• Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

PASTIES I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Roll dough into 4 thin circles. Arrange potatoes, onion, rutabaga and pork over 1/2 of each dough circle. Dot with butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add crushed garlic if desired. Fold dough over the filling and pinch and roll along edges. Poke a few holes in the top with a fork and place on a lined cookie sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown.