(aka "Yooper Pastie")
by Gail Dawson
Serves: 8. Preparation time: 2 hours plus overnight refrigeration.
For the Crust:
For the Filling:
• CRUST: Pour the Boiling Water over the Lard until half the Lard is dissolved. Add Salt to the Flour and add this to the Water/Lard mix. Mix this together until it forms a large Dough Ball. Wrap this in Plastic Wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• FILLING: In a large bowl, combine the Potato Cubes, Rutabaga Cubes, Chopped Onions, Ground Beef, Salt and Pepper. Mix thoroughly.
• ASSEMBLY: Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Remove the large Dough Ball from the refrigerator, unwrap it and divide it into 8 equal portions. Flour a rolling surface and, with a rolling pin, roll out one Dough portion into a circle about ⅛th inch thick. Make all 8 Dough Circles. Place ⅛th of the Filling onto the center of a Dough Circle. Top with a teaspoon of Melted Butter. Wet the edges of the Dough Circle with Ice Water, fold in half, and pinch the edges together to seal in the Filling, making a half moon shape. Repeat for the other seven. Be sure all edges are sealed. Place the 8 Pasties on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 425°F. Then reduce the oven to 350°F, turn over the 8 Pasties and bake for an additional 60 minutes until nicely browned. Plate and brush the top with 1 teaspoon of melted Butter. Serve with Ketchup or other topping.
Pastie - Typically, a hand-held Meat Pie that originated in Northern Ireland. The two main ingredients are Ground Beef and Potato. Commonly deep fried, this version from U.P. Michigan is baked and includes the root vegetable, Rutabaga (aka Swede), another Irish staple in the Turnip family. It's well known there by the name "Yooper Pastie".
