In the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan, Cornish immigrants boosted early efforts in copper mining in the 19th century thanks to their expertise. In addition to mining prowess, they brought something else: a taste for hand pies. Invented in their home region of Cornwall, England, Cornish pasties are popular lunchtime fare. A filling of hearty meat and vegetables inside a savory pastry, locals in the UP quickly learned that pasties were a favorite easy lunch for the Cornish miners. Now called Yooper Pasties in the region (person who lives in the U.P. = Yooper), these delicious self-contained meals remain popular in Michigan.
Tips for Making Yooper Pasties
If you’ve ever made chicken pot pie or shepherd’s pie, you can definitely make Yooper Pasties! Containing classic ingredients, I can often make these with a quick trip to the store for fresh beef. It has one of the easiest crusts you can make thanks to the lard, and it cooks beautifully as long as you don’t overfill the pastries. Still, there are a few quick things to know if you make this recipe.
Butter AND beef? Really?
This recipe calls for ground sirloin. While a delicious cut of meat, ground sirloin has a low fat content and therefore can be quite dry. The addition of the butter to the toppings serves two purposes: adding flavor, and keeping the filling nice and moist. Put the butter on top of the filling before closing the pasties
Must have potatoes
I did something controversial here: I did not add onions. You see, I unfortunately hate onions. Despite being a woman in her 30s, I’ve never been able to get over my childhood aversion for them. However, they are a staple of the dish! Many versions have potatoes, rutabagas, and yellow onion as the basic vegetables. I adapted this recipe by substituting onion powder for onions, and adding other vegetables.
Rutabagas aren’t always available where I live, so I use parsnips when they’re not available. I adapted this recipe to be more like shepherd’s pie with peas and carrots added. The one vegetable I’d never dream of replacing? Potato. Creamy, well-cooked potatoes beautifully complement the beef.
How to Make Yooper Pasties
Yooper Pasties
Equipment
- 3 mixing bowls
- rubber spatula
- Saran wrap
- Rolling Pin
- baking sheets
- measuring cups and spoons
- Paring Knife
- Cutting board
- Kitchen scale optional
Ingredients
For the pastry crust
- ½ lb lard room temperature
- 1 c boiling water
- 4 c all purpose flour plus more for sprinkling
- 1 tbsp salt
For the filling
- 1 lb ground sirloin
- 1 ½ stick butter
- 1 russet potato, diced about 2 c
- 1 large parsnip, diced about ½ c
- 1 c baby carrots, diced
- 1 c frozen peas, cooked
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
For the crust
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt
- In another mixing bowl, chop up the lard roughly into large pieces with a spatular or wooden spoon.
- Pour boiling water over the top of the lard, and stir until the lard has completely melted.
- Add the flour and salt to the lard, and stir well until the dough is fully even and incorporated. (Look for any pockets of flour).
- Wrap in saran wrap and store in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
For the filling
- Dice all vegetables into fairly small cubes.
- Crumble the beef, then add it to the vegetables.
- Add all spices to the vegetables and meat and toss evenly.
Assembly
- Preheat your oven to 350℉
- Divide your dough into 8 even pieces (a kitchen scale can help for this).
- On a well-floured surface, roll each piece into a flat circle about ⅛ inch thick. Use plenty of flour on the rolling pin as well.
- Place each circle on a baking sheet, with about ⅓ of it hanging over the edge of the sheet.
- Use a spoon to put a generous amount of filling on half of each pastry, leaving about ½ inch of pastry around the edge.
- Top each pasty with 1 tbsp butter.
- Fold the pastry over the filling, then crimp the edges together by pressing down along the edges with a fork
- Bake for 60 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
- Melt ½ stick of butter, and brush over the baked pastries as they cool.
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