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Mary Berry’s Cornish Pasty Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 418 reviews

Mary Berry’s Cornish Pasty recipe delivers a traditional, flaky shortcrust pastry filled with tender beef, potato, swede, and onion. This recipe ensures authentic flavor and texture by combining cold butter and lard in the pastry and using hearty cuts of beef. Perfect for a comforting, savory meal, these pasties are golden-baked to crisp perfection, featuring the classic crimped edge that seals in juicy, flavorful filling.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Shortcrust Pastry:

  • 350g (12oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • Pinch of salt
  • 85g (3oz) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 85g (3oz) cold lard, cubed (or extra 85g butter for all-butter pastry)
  • 4–6 tablespoons ice-cold water
  • 1 medium egg, beaten (for egg wash)

For the Filling:

  • 350–400g (12-14oz) beef skirt or chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1–1.5cm cubes
  • 1 large potato (approx. 200g/7oz), peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
  • 1 medium swede (rutabaga) (approx. 150g/5oz), peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
  • 1 large onion (approx. 150g/5oz), peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1–2 tablespoons plain flour (optional)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
  • ¾ – 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
  • 25g (1oz) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2–3 tablespoons beef stock or water (optional, if meat is very lean)

Instructions

  1. Make the Shortcrust Pastry: Sift 350g plain flour and a pinch of salt into a chilled bowl. Rub in 85g cold unsalted butter and 85g cold lard with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Work fast to keep fat cold. Gradually add 4-6 tablespoons ice-cold water until dough forms a firm ball without stickiness. Knead briefly on a floured surface, wrap in cling film and chill at least 30 minutes.
  2. Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, combine diced potato, swede, and chopped onion. Add cubed beef. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons plain flour (optional), 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ¾ – 1 teaspoon black pepper. Mix thoroughly by hand to coat ingredients evenly.
  3. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pastry: Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line baking trays with parchment. Divide chilled pastry into 4-6 equal pieces. Roll each piece on lightly floured surface to 3-4mm thickness. Cut into circles about 20-25cm diameter using a plate or cutter.
  4. Fill and Assemble Pasties: Place filling on one half of each pastry circle leaving 2cm border. Dot with small pieces of 25g butter. Optionally add a teaspoon of beef stock or water if meat is lean. Brush pastry edge with beaten egg wash or water. Fold pastry over filling to form a D-shape. Press edges firmly and crimp along the side to seal.
  5. Glaze and Vent: Place pasties on baking tray. Brush tops generously with beaten egg. Cut one or two small slits in the top of each pasty to allow steam to escape.
  6. Bake Pasties: Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes until pastry starts to turn golden. Reduce temperature to 180°C and bake another 25-35 minutes until deep golden and filling is cooked. If browning too fast, tent with foil.
  7. Rest and Serve: Remove pasties and let rest 10-15 minutes to let filling settle and cool slightly. Serve warm for best flavor and texture.

Notes

  • Keep all fats and water ice-cold to ensure flaky pastry layers.
  • Do not overwork the dough to avoid toughness.
  • The mixture of butter and lard creates a balanced flavor and texture.
  • Adjust pepper to taste; some like it very peppery.
  • Resting pastry before and after rolling prevents shrinkage during baking.
  • Tent with foil if pasties brown too quickly in oven.
  • Use beef skirt or chuck steak for tenderness and flavor.

Keywords: Cornish pasty, Mary Berry, shortcrust pastry, traditional British, beef pasty, savory pastry, homemade pasties

Find it online: https://nayabaker.com/mary-berrys-cornish-pasty-recipe/