Cowbow Pasties AKA 'Man Pies'

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Dear Sally,

March Break has started and I cannot tell you how relaxing it is just to have time to tidy, cook and clean! Ede is here for a visit while his owners are away. He is already a favorite with one of our neighbours and he is a great dog to run with. 

I pulled Jamie’s America out of the cupboard last night and decided on a recipe for Cornish Cowboy Pasties. I didn’t really have the ingredients for this so I used what I could find in the fridge and freezer. Jesse really liked them. And I felt they turned out well considering my lack of ingredients. This recipe could easily be modified for vegetarian by adding beans in place of the meat.

Cowboy Pasties AKA ‘Man Pies’

Adapted from Jamie’s America

Ingredients

For the Pastry:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups hot water

4 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg (beaten)

For the Filling:

1 red onion, peeled and diced

2 hot Italian sausages

1 - 8 oz piece of steak or stewing beef, cut into ½ inch chunks

6 sprigs fresh sage

½ tsp. dried rosemary

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

1 ¼ cups beef broth

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. flour

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

3 potatoes chopped into small chunks

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring your butter and water to a boil in a large saucepan, then take the pan off the heat. Stir the flour and salt into the mixture bit by bit with a spatula, until you’ve got dough. Tip it onto a floured surface and use your hands to shape into a smooth ball. Put the ball of dough into a floured bowl, dust the top with flour, then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 3o minutes while you make the filling.

Meanwhile, get a large frying pan and fry your chopped onion in a lub of olive oil for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the diced meat and sausage and fry for 5 minutes until brown, then add the rest of the chopped vegetables and herbs. Fry for another 5 minutes, season well with salt and pepper, then pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the flour and simmer on a medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until most of the stock has cooked away and you’re left with nice thick gravy.

Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour, then divide your pantry dough in half and roll each half out until it’s slightly thinner than ¼ inch. Use a cereal bowl (about 6 inched in diameter) to cut 4 circles out of each half, so you end up with 8 circles. Dust the circles with flour, and spoon your filling into the middle of each one. Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg, then fold each circle in half over the filling and crimp the edges with your finger and thumb to seal them.

Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper, scatter a handful of cornmeal or polenta over the paper, and place your pasties on top. Brush the pasties all over with more of the beaten egg and sprinkle over a little more cornmeal. Bake in the hot oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden, serve straightaway with a fresh green salad.

Hopefully we will be able to cross paths on Saturday. I'm soooo excited for spring and GARDENING! Jesse and I have some ideas for our garden and I can't wait to see yours. 

Love ya!