Michigan Pasty Recipe | Yummy Beef Pasties w Vegetables + Easy Dough (2024)

FAQs

What is a Michigan pasty? ›

Pasties, pronounced "pass-tee", are traditional meat pies that began in England and were brought to Michigan by Cornish miners when they migrated to Northern Michigan in the 1800's. Pasties are a beloved tradition in Michigan, particularly so in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula).

There will always be great debate about the origin of the pasty, but one easy way to detect the Devon pasty from the Cornish is that the Devon pasty has a top-crimp and is oval in shape, whereas the Cornish pasty is semi-circular and side-crimped along the curve.

There must be no other meat than beef, which should make up a minimum of 12.5% of the pasty. There should be no vegetables other than those stated, which make up at least 25% of the pasty! Lastly, the pastry should be savoury and crimped down the side – we insist on a minimum of 22 crimps!

For the Shortcrust Pastry:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. 1 teaspoon salt. 5 ounces unsalted butter , very cold, diced. 5 ounces lard , very cold (can substitute butter but lard makes the flakiest crust)

There are five main types of pastry dough for creating pastries: flaky, shortcrust, puff, choux and filo. All of them are made primarily from flour, water and fat. However, these five types of pastry dough each have slightly different core ingredients, different ratios of ingredients and, ultimately, different uses.

Pasties are handheld turnovers filled with meat and vegetables. These savory stuffed pies were originally made for miners in Cornwall, England, to take down into the pits during “crib” time (meal time) because they were an easy, portable and sustaining food.

Tiddly in naval slang means 'proper', a common adjective and adverb used by Cornish people, and oggie was the term for a pastie in cornwall, so “tiddly oggie” meant proper pasty. Cornish rugby supporters later adopted the chant “Oggie, oggie, oggie, oi, oi, oi!” when cheering on their team.

A proper Devon pasty always comprises of uncooked meat (beef skirt, traditionally) and veg in a circle of pastry. Always crimped before baking, which steams the contents beautifully and gives the case that gorgeous golden crunch.

Since 2011, the Cornish Pasty has enjoyed protected status under Protected Food Names legislation; so only a pasty made to a specific recipe in Cornwall can be called a “Cornish Pasty”.

For instance with your choice of potato (with a pasty mine would be mash), choice of vegetable, peas for instance, and definitely gravy or the whole thing may be just to dry to enjoy.

What is a traditional pasty? ›

The traditional Cornish pasty, which since 2011 has had Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in Europe, is filled with beef, sliced or diced potato, swede (also known as yellow turnip or rutabaga – referred to in Cornwall and other parts of the West Country as turnip) and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, ...

past·​ies ˈpā-stēz. : small round coverings for a woman's nipples worn especially by a stripteaser.

Known mostly as “Irish Butte” Pasties in Montana, this is a simple, delicious, and savory food comprised of half-moon-shaped shells stuffed with meats and vegetables where the whole bundle is then cooked over the fire – the “proper” and the oldest technique of cooking pasties.

The crust (crimp) served as a 'handle' – a means of holding the pasty with dirty hands without contaminating the meal. Arsenic commonly accompanies tin within the ore that they were mining so, to avoid arsenic poisoning, the crimp was an essential part of the pasty.

Ready to eat cold - but best heated in an oven for true pasty pleasure! From Chilled: 180°C / Fan 160°C / Gas mark 4 for 20-25 minutes. From Frozen: 190°C / Fan 170°C / Gas mark 5 for 40-50 minutes. Allow it to rest for 3-4 minutes - and enjoy.

In Michigan, where 19th-century Cornish immigrants brought the pasty into the iron mines of the Upper Peninsula, the pasty has been celebrated with local festivals and statewide proclamations.

The difference between the two is all in the structure, he said. Pasties tend to be defined as a singular, folded pastry case with a crimped lid and a savoury filling, typically of seasoned meat and vegetables. Pies, on the other hand, traditionally have a base and sides and a separate lid.

It's A Portable Pie With History Baked In : The Salt The lightly seasoned meat and veggie pie, prevalent in the Upper Peninsula, is pure fuel. Popularized by Cornish miners in the 1800s, it's come to symbolize tenacity in the face of trying conditions.

A Cornish pasty must comprise savoury pastry (usually shortcrust) with a filling of beef, potato, swede (often called a turnip in Cornwall, but it's not!), onion, seasoned with salt and pepper. There must be at least 12.5% beef and 25% vegetables in the pasty as a whole.