Steak and vegetable pasties recipe

Steak and vegetable pasties are such a classic British dish. 

Originally a working man's lunch and still a great on-the-go option, they also make a nice dinner with chips or mash. In this recipe we've made our own pastry. It's an extra step you may not fancy doing (and you could just use a packaged shortcrust pastry if you're pressed for time) but it's really worth it. It's a very easy, cold water pastry of only five ingredients and the result is the perfect packaging for this type of pasty. 

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 350g (12oz) plain flour
• 10ml (2 tsp) mustard powder
• 2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
• 75g (3oz) butter, chilled and diced
• 75g (3oz) lard or white vegetable fat, chilled and diced

For the filling:

• 10ml (2 tsp) oil
• 350g (12oz) lean sirloin steak, diced
• 100g (4oz) carrots, peeled and diced
• 100g (4oz) swede, peeled and diced
• 1 large leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh thyme leaves
• Beaten egg, to glaze

Method

1. To make the pastry, place the flour, mustard powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the diced butter and lard and rub into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Stir in 45-60ml (3-4 tbsp) ice-cold water and mix with a knife until the mixture begins to stick together. Gather the mixture with one hand and knead lightly on a floured surface to form a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
3. Meanwhile make the filling. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the steak and vegetables over a high heat for 3-4 mins. Cool, then add the thyme leaves and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Divide the pastry into 6 equal pieces and roll out each to an 18cm (7in) circle.
5. Divide the filling between the 6 pastry circles and brush around the rim of each circle with water. Bring 2 sides of each circle together over the filling and seal the edge firmly by crimping with your finger and thumb along the length of the join.
6. Place the pasties on a large greased baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Bake for 30 mins, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4, and bake for a further 20 mins (cover loosely with foil if the pastry begins to over-brown).

Top tip for making steak and vegetable pasties

You can use mince instead of diced steak for a cheaper pie.

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