Traditional Cornish Pasty Recipe | Proper Skirt Steak, Swede & Shortcrust

Traditional Cornish Pasty — From Elowen's Kitchen

The Cornish pasty has Protected Geographical Indication status. That means a pasty can only be called a Cornish pasty if it is made in Cornwall to an authentic recipe. We are in Cornwall. This is the authentic recipe.

A lot of recipes online get this wrong. They use minced beef (wrong), they pre-cook the filling (wrong), they crimp along the top (wrong — Cornish pasties are crimped along the side, giving them the distinctive D-shape), and some add carrots or peas. Do not do any of these things.

The raw filling cooks inside the pastry during baking. The juices from the meat and vegetables steam the filling from within. That is how you get the right texture.

Ingredients (makes 4 pasties)

For the shortcrust pastry: 500g strong plain flour 125g cold salted butter, cubed 125g cold lard or vegetable shortening, cubed Pinch of salt 150-175ml cold water

For the filling: 400g skirt steak (or chuck steak), thinly sliced — never minced 300g waxy potatoes (such as Maris Piper or Desiree), peeled and sliced very thin 300g swede (turnip), peeled and sliced very thin 1 medium onion, finely sliced Salt and black pepper — generous with both Knob of salted Cornish butter, to dot on top of filling Egg, beaten, for the glaze

Method — Pastry

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the cold butter and lard and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Work quickly — you want everything cold.

Add cold water gradually, mixing with a knife until the dough just comes together. Don't overwork it. Shape into a flat disc, wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Method — Filling & Assembly

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line two baking sheets with baking paper.

Divide the pastry into 4 equal portions. Roll each one out on a lightly floured surface to a circle about 23cm across — roughly the size of a side plate.

Layer the filling across one half of each pastry circle, leaving a 2cm border. Start with potato, then swede, then the sliced skirt steak, then onion on top. Season generously with salt and black pepper between each layer. Dot with a little butter.

Fold the other half of pastry over the filling to create a D-shape. Crimp the side edge — the traditional Cornish method is a rope crimp along the curved seam. Press the pastry edge together firmly, then fold small sections over each other in a continuous sequence along the side. When the pasty sits upright, the crimp runs along one side like a spine. It takes practice. It doesn't need to be perfect.

Brush with beaten egg. Make a small steam hole in the top of each pasty.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until deep golden brown. The longer bake ensures the raw steak is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Elowen's Tips

Skirt steak is the traditional cut. It's cheap, flavourful, and becomes tender when slowly cooked inside the pastry. Chuck is a good substitute. Never use mince — the texture is completely wrong.

Slice everything thinly and evenly. The potato and swede in particular need to be thin enough to cook through in the time given.

The CPGA (Cornish Pasty Association) insists on the D-shape with the crimp along the side. The initials tradition — miners would put their initials at one end so they could hold the thick crimped edge and eat from the other end without touching the arsenic-tainted section with their fingers — is historical fact. The crimp was the handle, discarded after eating.

Eat warm with a cup of tea. That's it.

For Larger Quantities?

Salt Wind Catering makes Cornish pasties for events, corporate buffets and site catering across Cornwall. For orders of 20+, call 01209 206255 or email [email protected].