Last week or so Andy and I made pasties (pah-stees) for the first time in ages, and when I posted it on facebook I recieved tons of inquiries about what these pasty things were. Well, here it is:
The DL on Pasties.
Pasties are a traditional pocket pie that were eaten for lunch by welsh miners in the Sierra Nevada. My Grandma Barbara Reid is welsh and grew up in the Sierra Nevada gold country. Her father, uncle and brother worked the mines in the Sierra, particularly in Nevada City. Grandma learned how to make pasties growing up, and so of course we would have them on special family gatherings when I was growing up. The most magical part about pasties are how simple they are, yet so incredibly delicious. (The pasty actually originated in Cornwall, but that history is much less personal).
What's in it:
Enough pie crust for four rolled circles, about 9" in diameter (you can make from scratch, use a box mix, or buy the flat, frozen crusts from Trader Joes)
1-1.5 lbs tri tip or other steak, cubed small
3-4 medium potatoes, in 1/4" cubes
1 onion chopped small
1/2 C parsley chopped
salt and pepper
some butter (optional)
How it's made:
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Mix in a bowl the filling ingredients: steak, potatoes, onion, parsley, salt and pepper. Roll out the pie crusts into four circles, each about 9" in diameter. Place a quarter of the filling on each pie crust, add a little slice of butter, then fold the crusts over in half and pinch to seal. Brush crusts with water or egg wash to seal, and then place the pasties on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce to 350 and bake for another 45 minutes.
Let cool, then enjoy! This recipe can easily be adjusted for serving sizes. I always end up with extra filling, so I cook it up with scrambled eggs later, etc.
