Michigan Pasties

Michigan pasties are a whole meal folded into a pastry shell. Most commonly they are filled with beef and root vegetables then baked until tender.

These handheld meat pies are popular with my Yooper neighbors to the north in Michigan's upper peninsula who made these portable meals for Cornish miners. Although still closely associated with Michigan, the pasty (the pronunciation of pasty rhymes with nasty) has gained a foothold in northern Wisconsin as well where you can still find roadside pasty shops selling these treats.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Like any meal, there are a million different ways pasties can be prepared. However, the traditional Cornish pasty, first popularized in Cornwall, United Kingdom was primarily made with pastry dough, beef, potatoes, onion, and turnips.

In my pasty recipe, I go a step further and add fresh herbs (parsley and sage) to the mix, which I think livens up the flavor quite a bit. However, feel free to omit it if you wish to stay more traditional.

• All-purpose flour - You can also use store-bought refrigerated pie dough in place of the dough ingredients.
• Salt
• Butter - You can substitute lard or shortening for butter in the dough.
• Large egg
• Lean ground beef
• Rutabaga
• Yellow onion
• Yukon potatoes - Red potatoes are a great substitution, but you can also use russet potatoes.
• Fresh parsley
• Fresh ground black pepper 
• Garlic powder
• Fresh sage - Fresh thyme would be a great substitute.
• Butter - Adding butter to the pasty filling lends moisture and flavor, but it can be omitted to save calories.
• Salt

How to make it

Begin by making your pie dough by mixing the flour and salt, then cutting in butter with a pastry cutter. Finally, mix in water until it forms into a ball. Knead the dough a few times on a lightly floured surface then let the dough balls sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This will make it easier to work with.

Prepare your vegetables and herbs by chopping them into small pieces, then add to a large mixing bowl and mix together along with the salt and pepper. Separately, crumble your hamburger into small bits.

Tip: You can mix all of your fillings together, but I find it works best if the ground meat is crumbled and added to the pasties separately. Otherwise, it wants to clump back together again as it is mixed.

Remove your dough from the refrigerator and cut into six equal pieces and then flatten them into ⅛" discs. Pile each round of dough with the vegetable mixture, then top with beef and one teaspoon of butter then fold the dough shut. Crimp edges shut with a fork to ensure it remains closed.

Finally, beat an egg in a dish and then paint the exterior pie dough with the egg wash to add a glossy shine as it bakes. I also like to sprinkle on a little kosher salt.

Bake your pasties in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour, then remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

Leftover pasties should be stored in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator for up to a week. These do reheat fairly well in the microwave, but the texture will suffer some. Gently warming them in a 350 degree oven is the best way to reheat them.