Pasties with Lard Crust

Savory Pasties are the perfect excuse for playing with pastry crust made with lard. ("Pasty" rhymes with "nasty." The word rhyming with "tasty" is something completely different.)

A friend of mine tells of her Cornish forebears who worked the coalmines in Britain. Supposedly, the tradition of baking Pasties - hearty half-moon meat pies eaten out of hand - started when the coalminers' wives baked pies that could be dropped down the mine shafts into the hands of their husbands far below. 

Those must have been some kind of sturdy pie crusts to survive that drop! My Pasties would fall into crumbs before any miners could catch them, but since these days Pasties only travel from oven to table, I'm not terribly concerned. Still, the tradition grants us some leeway. Whereas one usually tries to handle pastry crust as little as possible to avoid working up the gluten in the dough which makes a tough crust, producing a Pasty that does NOT fall apart at the slightest touch is recognized as a good thing.

Now, please understand that I don't dip into the lard bucket every day; I use olive oil for almost all of my baking, cooking and pan frying. Lard comes out of the freezer only for special occasion pastries that need a solid fat for texture and flake, or the even more rare occasions when something must be deep fried.

If your only experience with hand-held savory pies is something frozen and heated in the microwave, just give the following recipe a try. You might be converted to both Pasties and baking with lard.


Recipe: Pasties with Lard Crust

This crust is based on one in my very old copy of Farm Journal's Complete Pie Cookbook, 1965 edition. The first egg helps the crust hold together while the second makes it glossy and crisp. Use a chilled surface to keep the dough cold as you roll it out.

1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1 c. spelt flour
2/3 c. lard (very cold)
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 Tbs. iced water
2 tsp. lemon juice

Process flours and lard in food processor with brief pulses, only until lard is broken up and distributed through flour. Combine egg, water and juice, then add all at once to dough, processing in quick pulses only until all the flour is moistened.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead about 10 times, or until no longer sticky.

Chill dough while preparing the filling.

Pasty Filling:

Traditional pasty fillings are dry to American taste, because they include no gravy or sauce to moisten the meat and vegetables. I suspect Cornishmen washed their lunch down with plenty of hearty ale.

1/2 lb. coarsely chopped meat, such as chili-cut beef
2/3 c. chopped onion
2/3 c. chopped cabbage
handful parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. prepared mustard

Combine everything; chill until ready to use.

Assemble and Bake: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine another egg with 1 Tbs. water for egg wash.

Divide dough into 4 to 6 balls. Working on well-floured pastry sheet, parchment or silicon sheet, roll each ball  into a circle about 1/4" thick. Keep remaining dough chilled until used.

Place 1/2 - 3/4 c. filling on one side of a pastry circle. Use the floured sheet to lift the other side over the filling. Press edges to seal and trim excess dough from edges. Gently transfer Pasty to baking sheet or stone. Brush top well with egg wash. Make 3 small slits in top with a sharp knife for steam vents.

Bake 45 - 50 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes before serving with sliced fruit or fresh salad.

Pasties baked in this lard crust may be refrigerated for up to two days, then reheated for 15 minutes in oven or toaster oven.