How to Make Northern Michigan Pasties with Pasty Recipe
By Barbara Kay
If you travel to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, you can't miss the restaurant signs for pasties. Pasties are a food that was brought here from Cornwall, England by Cornish miners. The pasty was an easy meal for the miners to take along when working. They could be eaten without a fork and easily heated so the miners could have a hot meal. The pasty was just put on their shovel and then heated over the overhead lamp in the mine.
As time went on other ethnic groups added their own ingredients. Most pasties are made with rutabagas, but the recipe here uses potatoes instead. I've included ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
Recipe
Michigan Pasties (Makes 6 pasties)
1# round steak, cut into ½” cubes
2 c peeled, diced potatoes or use rutabaga or turnips
2 Tbsp butter
Pastry (recipe and instructions follows)
1 ¼ c chopped onion
2 T chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp thyme
Beaten egg for glaze
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the steak and the potatoes. Set this aside.
3. Prepare the pastry.
4. Now add to the steak and potato mixture the onions, parsley, salt, pepper, and thyme.
5. Now divide the pastry into 6 different balls.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll each individual ball into a 7” circle.
7. Spoon ¾ c of filling in a strip across the center of each circle.
8. Bring both sides of the dough up over the filling, forming a seam.
9. Pinch the seams to seal.
10. Brush with the egg glaze and then place on baking sheet.
11. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Pastry
3 c flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 c. + 2 T lard or shortening
7-9 T ice water
1. In a bowl combine the flour and salt.
2. Cut in the lard or shortening until it resembles a coarse meal.
3. Add the ice water and toss together and gather the dough into a ball.
4. Go back to the instructions above.
These are great to serve immediately hot as a meal or use later and heat up.
Enjoy the good eating!
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Comments
Starglade, My son can't go to Northern Michigan without eating these. When you say that about Wisconsin I remember seeing one of those restaurants there.
yes that is an authentic recipe! sometimes my mum says they used to put swede in ( a sort of turnip) really useful when there was rationing and everything had to go that bit further.
Case1worker, I've never heard of swede. I did read that different nationalities changed the ingredients though and I'm sure it would be fine to add any extra vegetables or meats we have on hand to it. Thanks for commenting.
Not a bad recipe.
I like beef pastys with mushrooms and a touch of garlic. I like pork pastys with peas. They look nasty but taste great.
Daddy Paulm Mmm that sounds good. Thanks for commenting. Barb
I am from Michigan and love pasties. Every year our church made pasties to sell as a fund raiser. How I miss them. Have added your recipe to my stash and will be trying them as soon as it cools down a little in Georgia. It sure is hot down here.
OMD! My stomach started growling the minute I opened this Hub! Pasties!!!Oh Yeah, sharing and bookmarking for further use! Yummy, Thanks
reddog1027 We've got it a lot hotter than usual here in Michigan this year too. I'm happy to hear that someone can use the recipe. Barb
LillyGrillzit, Happy to hear I passed on a recipe that you will enjoy. Thanks for posting. Barb
I have seen the signs for pasties when we have gone north. I am from southern MI. I have always wanted to try pasties! Now I can. I do have a question, does the steak get done enough and not tough? Thank you so much for sharing.
Actually, I have used leftover meat. I've never tasted a pasty that didn't have tender meat though. Maybe using leftovers is a good idea though.
I just came across your Hub and it brought back memories of growing up in MI and eating pasties. Am bookmarking your hub so I can come back and check it out again.
Danette, Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I'm happy to hear that is brought back good memories.
I love a good pasty, great hub!
InTune, Thanks.
It is not a pasty without turnips or rutabaga and gobs of butter inside to act as 'gravy'. FJ Miles, Sault Ste. Marie Michigan
Fred, Thanks for your comments. I added your suggestions. I've always heard rutabaga was a main ingredient, but we trolls under the bridge have more potatoes available than rutabagas. I'll try it with rutabagas instead.
Starglade 21 months ago
These sound fantastic. I first encountered pasties in Stevens Point, WI, which was also settled by the Cornish. A little restaurant at the foot of Shake-Rag Street served pasties and figgyhobbin. Delicious!