Cornish Pasties

From "The Best-Ever Pastry Cookbook." I consider pasties old-school Hot Pockets. YUM. Originally carried by miners so that they could take their whole meal down into the mines with them. These tend to be quite filling, so you may not need anything other than a nice salad for dinner. Times are estimates and prep time includes chilling time. Feel free to play with the filling and substitute add vegeables, use chicken, pork, turkey, whatever...You could even make them vegetarian I suppose, or vegan by omitting the butter and meat and substituting margarine or Crisco.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 5 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Pastry

• 3  cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup butter, diced
• 1⁄2 cup  lard or 1⁄2 cup  solid vegetable shortening (e.g. Crisco)
• 5 -6  tablespoons  cold water
• 1  pinch salt

• Filling

• 1  lb  chuck steak, diced (ground beef may also be used, but at a loss of texture)
• 1  russet potato, diced (~6oz.)
• 1  cup  rutabaga, diced (~6oz.)
• 1  onion, chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  dried mixed herbs, of your choice
• 1  egg, beaten until just frothy
•  salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl.
2. Using a pastry blender, your fingertips or 2 knives, cut in the butter and lard/vegetable shortening.
3. Sprinkle the chilled water over the dough, adding more if necessary.
4. Knead the pastry on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes or until smooth.
5. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. If you refrigerate for a fair more than this time, you will probably have to let the pastry dough sit out for a bit after removing it from the fridge to allow it to become pliable again.
7. Preheat oven to 425F.
8. Divide pastry into 6 equal pieces.
9. Roll each piece into a circle on a lightly floured surface.
10. Mix filling ingredients in a bowl and then spoon an equal amount onto each round of pastry.
11. Be aware that you are going to fold the circles in half, so spoon accordingly.
12. Brush the edges of the pastry rounds with water and fold in half.
13. Press edges firmly to seal, then crimp.
14. Brush pasties with beaten egg.
15. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325F and bake for 1 hour more.
16. Do not undercook as you must make sure the meat gets throughly cooked.
17. Serve hot or cold.
18. You may add additional vegetables like carrots, celery, spinach, etc.
19. to the filling, if you desire.