Pasties According to Mom
Pasties (PASS-tees) are an all-in-one meal that consists of a flaky but substantial crust that holds a combination of meat and root vegetables. The Cornish introduced the pasty to Michigan during the copper boom of the late 19th/early 20th century when the immigrants came to work in the mines.
Pasties made a solid, all-in-one meal that could be toted into the mines. Finnish immigrant miners adopted the handy, hearty meal so, although pasties are a Cornish tradition, they’re generally associated with the Finnish-American culture of the U.P. because well, there are more of us.
Great Lakes Gazette readers know that I am on the hunt for The Best Pasty from a restaurant or roadside stand.
I’m searching for something that stands up to the memory of the pies handcrafted by my mom Elsie and her mom Ellen Lahti.
Grandma Ellen Lahti, Pasty Queen
Grandma was a great home-cookin’ cook who put her skills in the kitchen to work at her own restaurant in Detroit.
Ellen’s neighborhood diner was a magnet for Yoopers who came to the Big City to work in the auto plants and at the Burroughs Corporation.
Her pasties, and Mom’s version of them, were the tastiest. I’ve tried to replicate them using the recipe Mom shared with me (more or less).
Notice that I use “about” a lot in this recipe. No exact measurements when you’re told to chop 8 potatoes or 10 carrots, and the sizes of those veggies can vary. I guess that’s why it’s hard to recreate the dishes we remember. Mom and Grandma didn’t use measuring cups for everything; some of the proportions were done by eye and experience.
I think these turned out okay. Not quite Mom’s or Grandma’s, but pretty good.
Wonder if Mom packed pasties for this picnic with Dad
This crust calls for lard. If you are opposed to lard you can substitute shortening or butter, but the resulting crust is just not the same. You could use your favorite pie crust recipe or ready made pie crusts.
Vary proportions of veggies according to your taste (some folks do not use rutabaga).
Try to dice the potatoes, carrots and rutabaga about the same size.
Quantity of pasties will depend on how big you make them. This recipe is for 8 pasties but I rolled out each crust to about 10 inches and got 12 pasties.
I’ll be sharing with the family! Thank goodness they freeze well (the pasties, not the family members).
Pasties
Makes about 12
Preheat oven to 375 F
Filling
8 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups onion, chopped
10 carrots, peeled and chopped
small rutabaga, peeled and diced
3 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon pepper
6 teaspoons salt
(I added a pinch ground allspice—optional)
butter
Crust
8 cups sifted white flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound lard
1-1/2 to 2 cups icy water
In large bowl mix potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, meat, onion and seasonings.
In another bowl mix flour and salt. Cut in lard. Add water slowly to make a dough you can roll. Knead lightly to form a ball. Do not overwork.
Lightly flour surface. Form a portion of dough into a ball (between tennis and baseball size) and roll into a circle.
Place about 1-1/2 cups filling on one half of circle. Dot with a bit of butter (less than a teaspoon). Fold dough over and moisten, seal and crimp edges. Poke top with fork.
Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for about an hour until golden brown. (I brush top lightly with a dab of butter about halfway through baking.)
Enjoy with ketchup and a little more butter.
I remember many times eating your Mom’s pasties. That was my first introduction to them. I haven’t had a good pasty in a long time. I will have to give it a try and see if I can make a good one.
Ah, yes, we always looked forward to “pasty day.” Let me know how they turn out!
My dad, Ross Polkinghorne, was born in Painesdale, and all men in his family worked in the mine machine shops. His father came to Detroit to work for the Budd Co. in the 30’s, I think, so he may have visited that restaurant! My mom made pasties from my grandma Kneebone’s recipe. Crust just as you described, but rutabaga, no carrot. The meat was chopped beef, not ground. It’s been awhile since I made them–labor intensive and not a family favorite! Trying to use shortening instead of lard resulted in a crust that broke apart too easily.
Oh, wow, Chris, wouldn’t that be something? I know Ellen’s was a gathering place; I’ve asked elders—one I met as recently as last year— and he remembered going there.
There’s a definite technique to the crust.
I still like rutabaga though! See: http://www.greatlakesgazette.com/2013/06/01/in-the-tank-for-rutabaga/
Thanks for checking in at Great Lakes Gazette!
Kath