Grandma's Cornish Pasties

Ingredients

Method

Remove any skin or fat from the steak and slice it horizontally into really thin sheets. Then cut it into thin strips and then into small cubes. The result should resemble minced meat. Place in fridge.

For the pastry, sift flour and salt. Add lard and rub into flour until it resembles bread crumbs. Keep as cold as possible at all times. Make a well in the centre, add most of the water and mix with a stainless steel knife until it forms a ball and leaves the bowl clean. Add more water if necessary. If the pastry is too sticky, add flour slowly until it forms a ball.

Turn pastry onto a floured bench and kneed until smooth on the bottom. Place on a plate, cover with cling wrap and put in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the pasties.

Peel all vegetables & shave potatoes, sweed and pumpkin into small fine slices. This takes a long time, but the result is worth it. Finely dice onion and carrot. Add meat and mix well. Add salt & pepper.

Preheat oven to 250C (very hot).

On the floured bench, kneed pastry a little and cut into small pices. You should be able to get 18 pieces out of it. Form the pieces into little domes then roll into circles about 25cm across.

Place about 2 tbs. of filling in a stip down the centre of the pastry circle, sprinkle a little flour on top of it and then damp the edges of the pastry with water. Fold the sides up over the filling and crimp together. Place an a baking tray and prick with a fork then brush with milk.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack and cover with a tea towel to cool.

Freeze well and are delicious with home made Tomato Sauce.