Pronounce the “a” like you would in “fast.” Recipe by Helen Dollaghan, from the Sept. 14, 1975, edition of The Denver Post. Makes 4.
Ingredients
3 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
Cold water
2 medium uncooked potatoes, peeled, quartered and sliced thin
Thin slices uncooked, peeled rutabaga or turnip (optional)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 pound uncooked beef sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and finely diced
1/2 pound uncooked pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sift together flour and salt. Blend in shortening with a pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly. Add enough cold water to flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time, to hold mixture together. Dough should be more moist than ordinary pastry but not as soft as biscuit dough. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball.
For each pasty, roll out 1 portion of dough on waxed paper to an 8-inch circle. Place 1/4 of the potatoes on half of the circle of dough. Leave about 1 inch of dough exposed around edge. Arrange a few slices of rutabaga on top of potatoes, if desired. Place 1/4 of the onions on top of potatoes. Thoroughly mix together beef and pork. Place 1/4 of the meat in a mound on top of onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper between layers. Fold uncovered portion of dough over the filling. Moisten edges with water, and seal dough edges firmly with fingertips. Repeat process, making three more pasties. If desired, brush top of each pasty with egg yolk mixture. (This gives a nice golden color to pasties during baking.) Make a 1-inch slit near top of each pasty to allow steam to escape. Place pasties in greased, shallow pan (like a jelly roll pan with edge to catch any drippings). Bake on center rack 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake 1 hour longer. (Baking time is correct if your oven temperature is accurate; it may vary because of differences in ovens.)
