Dad's Pasties

Every time we head to the UP (Michigan's Upper Peninsula), we make sure to have pasties for dinner at least once. These UP staples are hot, hearty, and delicious, made with root vegetables and meat, and perfect for the long, cold winters that are the norm up there. Of course, there were quite a few years when we didn't make it up to the UP. When our pastie cravings got the best of us, my dad found and tweaked a recipe, and I have to admit that they're better than any I've had up north. All they're missing is the ambiance. These do take quite a while to make, but they're totally worth it. Plus, it makes so many that we usually freeze at least half the recipe, which means we have at least two dinners out of every batch. Freezing directions are at the bottom of the recipe.

Dad's Pasties

Adapted from Chef Paul Prudhomme's Seasoned America

Seasoning Mix

2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. onion powder

3/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves

3/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves

1/2 tsp. ground savory

Dough

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. seasoning mix

9 Tbsp. unsalted butter

10 - 12 Tbsp. cold water

Filling

10 oz. lean pork, very finely chopped

3/4 lb. lean beef (I used sirloin), very finely chopped

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. seasoning mix

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 c. chopped onions

1 c. chopped celery

1 1/2 c. finely diced rutabaga

1 to 1 1/2 c. finely diced peeled potato

1 tsp. minced fresh garlic

Finish

1 egg

2 Tbsp. water

1. Combine the seasoning mix ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl.

2. For the dough: combine the flour, 1 tsp. seasoning mix, and the butter in a bowl and blend with a fork or pastry blender until the texture is mealy. Gradually add the water and work the dough lightly with your hands until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Form the dough into a ball. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour.

3. For the filling: combine the pork and beef in a bowl. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. seasoning mix over the meat and work in well with your hands.

Melt the butter in a 12 inch skillet over high heat. When the butter begins to sizzle, add the onions and celery and cook stirring occasionally until the onions begin to brown about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp. seasoning mix and cook 4 minutes.

Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet, place the seasoned meat in the cleared space, and cook, stirring occasionally until just brown, about 3 minutes. Mix the meat into the vegetables.

Add the rutabaga, potato, and garlic, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Pour the filling mixture into a shallow pan and refrigerate until cool. (In a Michigan winter, we cover it and put it outside for about 30 minutes, and that does the trick.)

Here's a picture of the filling so you can see the approximate size things should be chopped.

I make about 1 cm cubes of everything.

4. To finish: make an egg wash by beating the egg and water together.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 7 equal portions. Sprinkle a clean surface with flour and roll out each portion of dough to a thickness of about 1/16 inch. Using a plate or a pan as a guide (I used a salad plate), cut a 7 to 9 inch round from each portion. When each portion has been rolled out, re-roll the scraps to make additional rounds. I usually get about 9 pasties out of the dough.

Remove the filling from the refrigerator (or bring it inside). Put about 3/4 c. of the filling in the middle of the dough round. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash, and fold in half to seal. Crimp the edge with the tines of a fork. Brush egg wash over the top of each pasty.

Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and place the pasties on the sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm with beef gravy or (as we do up north) lots of ketchup.

To freeze: Make pasties as directed up through brushing with egg wash. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Add 10 minutes to the baking time (or more as needed), and bake straight from the freezer.