Beef Cornish Pasties

This recipe comes largely from my grandmother who was born and raised in Pelkie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Her parents (and many of her siblings) were Finnish immigrants. Although pasties are from Cornwall, England, they apparently became popularized in the U.S. by Finnish miners who worked alongside Cornish miners in the U.P. You can pretty much put anything in a pasty and the recipe I am going to provide is the traditional way we would have it. Pork, lamb, venison, rabbit, and other game meat work well. I've never used chicken in it though. If you do, you'll have to let me know how it is. My family eats it one of two ways. (1) With ketchup (gross!) and (2) with beef gravy. I actually made a chimichurri aoili that works WONDERFULLY with it and adds complexity and herbaceousness to the dish. Just don't tell my grandma... she'll claw out of the grave and strangle me if she knew. 

Pasty Filling

Ingredients:
About a 1 1/2 pounds of skirt steak, lamb, or pork. (If you use ground beef, lamb, pork, etc.,, I can’t vouch for the results)
1-2 large potatoes
Large onion
Small Rutabega or turnip (1/2 amount of rutabega as potato)
1 carrot
Fresh Parsley (A few tablespoons, finely chopped)
Salt (tablespoon+) and Pepper

Instructions:
Finely dice EVERYTHING. Put meat in separate bowl. Put all veggies in a bowl and salt and pepper both liberally.

Pasty Dough

Ingredients:
1 pound Flour
1 stick butter (Cold)
3 oz of Lard (Cold)
Teaspoon of salt
Ice Cold Water (A cup or so)

Instructions:
Combine all but the water and mix with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Try not to handle the dough too much. Slowly add water, a tablespoon or so at a time and mix with a knife until the dough starts coming together. You may have to add several tablespoons. Try not to add too much water. Dough is done when the dough pulls all the flour from the bowl and it is not sticky or too dry. If dry, add water. If sticky, add flour.

Take pieces of dough and roll into 8" to 9" circles. Add a few tablespoons of meat and veggies and a dab of butter. Using an egg wash, brush, egg wash on edge of pastry and fold in half. Poke a couple holes in top of pastry and brush with egg wash. Fold in the Cornish style or use a fork to press seam down. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 400 for 45 minutes.

**You can also bake them for 400 degrees, remove them, let them cool, then wrap in aluminum foil and freeze. Reheat at 350 for 30 minutes.

Beef Gravy

Ingredients and Method:

1/4 C. Butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 C. Flour

Stir constantly and heat in saucepan until it combines together and forms a thick roux. Then add the following:

1 1/2 C. Beef Stock
1/2 small onion or 1 shallot finely minced
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Heat until boiling and thickened. Stirring constantly.

Chimmichurri Aoili

Ingredients:

1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley

6 cloves garlic roughly chopped

6 Tbs red wine vinegar

4 TBS oregano- leaves only

1 tsp crushed red pepper- can increase if you like things spicier

A generous 1/3 cup chopped shallot

1 tsp salt

1 cup olive oil

Mayo

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to your jar except the olive oil. Add about half the oil and begin to blend. Once the mix is coming together, add the rest of the olive oil. This ensures you chop up the herbs well Let the sauce stand for at least 20 minutes before using to let the flavors combine.

Mix 2 parts sauce to 1 part mayo for a creamier aioli. The sauce should keep well in the fridge for around a week

Lamb and Beef Kofta with Yellow Saffron Rice

Kofta brings me happiness. Its herbaceous and comforting and it's how I judge any Lebanese restaurant. In a perfect and cheaper world, kofta would be made with all lamb, but I find the mix of lamb and beef to be a happy medium in both flavor and impact on my pocketbook. Although this is ideally prepared on a skewer over a charcoal grill, I'm sadly without a grill, so I use a heavy skillet. The yellow saffron rice is a perfect accompaniment, and the saffron is able to shine through subtly. Seven spice can be a battle to find, especially if you live in rural Ohio like me, thankfully, you can make your own and I included that recipe as well so you will never be without. Sumac can also be a challenge, but some lemon zest will work in a pinch. Here's the recipe for all three.

Lamb and Beef Kofta

Ingredients: 
1/4 cup of FRESH parsley, finely chopped.
A half of a small onion, finely minced, about a quarter cup.
1 heaping teaspoon of sumac (use lemon zest if you cannot find)
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 heaping teaspoons of 7 Spice (Recipe below if needed)
1/4 heaping teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1 pound of 85/15 ground beef
1 pound of ground lamb
Olive oil for frying

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix very well with your hands until it is all combined. Form into long sausage shapes about 4 to 5 inches long and roughly the thickness of a bratwurst. Heat a large skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the kofta. Unless you have the largest frying pan in the world, you'll have to do this in batches. When placed in the pan, the pan should start sizzling. If not, your oil was too cold. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes a side. Flip, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. If you prefer a more well-done kofta, add another minute or two per side. Serve with hummus, pita, and the yellow saffron rice.

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Yellow Saffron Rice

Ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
2 cups of chicken stock
5 saffron threads (DO NOT SUBSTITUTE!)
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
Some finely chopped parsley (for garnish)

Directions:
Add turmeric, chicken stock, and saffron in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, oil, and the salt. Stir well. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove from the heat and let sit, STILL COVERED, for another 15 minutes. Uncover, add the chopped parsley, if desired, and mix well.

Note: I don't always do this, but sometimes I like to add some sauteed carrots and onion to this as well. If you desire this as well, saute 1/4 cup of finely minced carrot and onion with a teaspoon or two of olive oil in the skillet. Once the onion is transluscent, you can continue with the recipe as normal.

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7 Spice

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of black pepper
2 Tablespoons of paprika
2 Tablespoons of ground cumin
1 Tablespoon of ground coriander
1 Tablespoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom

Directions:
Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Store in an airtight container.