Chef John’s Cornish Pasty

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 4 cups bread flour
• 3 ounces cold lard
• 2 ounces cold butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2/3 cup ice water, or as needed
• Filling:
• 12 ounces beef skirt steak, cubed
• 1 cup diced Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/3 cup diced turnip
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 thin slices
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions

Cut flour, lard, cold butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt together in a bowl with a pastry blender until mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in ice water. Mix with a fork until mixture begins to come together; use hands to form into a dough ball.

Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface and knead until dough is smooth and forms a firm ball, about 2 minutes. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.

Stir steak, potatoes, onion, turnip, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until evenly-combined.

Beat egg and 1 teaspoon water together in a small bowl.

Divide dough into 4 equal rounds and roll each round out to about 1/8-inch thickness and 8-inches in diameter. Brush each dough round with egg mixture.

Place 1/4 of the steak mixture slightly off-center on each round of dough, and top steak mixture with 2 slices butter. Fold dough over steak filling to form a half moon shape and press edges together to seal. Trim excess dough from edges of pasties. Transfer pasties to the prepared baking sheet and crimp edges with the tines of a fork; poke fork 1 time into the top center of each pasty and brush tops with egg mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned and bubbly, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes.