The national dish of Cornwall, England, this authentic Cornish Pasty recipe features savory flaky pastry pockets filled with beef and vegetables. It’s English comfort food at its very best!
One of the most famous of all British dishes, Cornish pasties enjoy a long and rich heritage. This authentic Cornish pasty recipe showcases English comfort food at its very best!
I love Great Britain. I lived in Cambridgeshire, England for 6 wonderful years and my husband spent 2 years in Liverpool and north Wales. We’re both Anglophiles through and through and try to go back every year for a visit with our kids. We love every area of Great Britain and it’s hard to pinpoint a favorite area. But Cornwall, England holds a particularly special place in our hearts.
A Brief Family History
We love Cornwall not only because of its striking natural beauty, rustic charm and rich culture, but also because it’s home to my husband’s namesake ancestors, the Killigrew family (later changed to Killebrew when his great+ grandfather immigrated to the U.S.). The Killigrews were landed gentry and one of the most prominent families in Cornwall. They founded the port town of Falmouth, built and lived in Arwenack Manor, and were the royally appointed de facto captains of Pendennis Castle. We always look forward to a return visit to these family sites including St. Budock church where the Killigrew family held front row seats, are buried beneath the floor in front of the altar, and where a well-known painted wall edifice stands depicting Todd’s great+ grandparents kneeling in prayer towards each other.
I can’t claim as close (or as impressive) of an association to Cornwall as Todd, unfortunately. But I do have a great+ grandmother from Scotland (wife to an admiral who regularly sailed down to Cornwall on business) who died and is buried in Cornwall. And it’s like I always say, if you’re going to die (as most people tend to do), there’s no better place to do it than in Cornwall.
With our close connection with and love for Cornwall, we also feel a close kinship with its traditional foods, the most famous of which is the Cornish pasty, considered the national dish of Cornwall.
What are Cornish Pasties?
A Cornish pasty is a turnover-shaped baked shortcrust pastry filled with beef and vegetables. The edges are sealed by crimping them in characteristic Cornish fashion.
In 2011, Cornish pasties were given both a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, which means that in order for these pasties to be made commercially and bear the name “Cornish pasty”, they have to meet very specific requirements. These requirements are as follows:
- They have to be made in Cornwall.
- They can only contain beef, potato, Swede (rutabaga), onion, salt and pepper. No other meat, no other vegetables, no other seasonings allowed.
- The ingredients must be raw when the pasties are assembled and then slowly baked to produce the traditional Cornish pasty flavor and texture.
- The edges of the pasties must be sealed by crimping them in traditional Cornish fashion.
No culinary license allowed here and any deviations from these parameters will land you in stocks at the market square for public shaming. Well, that may be a stretch. But you will incur a fine.
The Origin of the Cornish Pasty
The Cornish pasty has a unique and interesting history that goes back centuries. Cornwall had the biggest tin mining and one of the biggest copper mining industries in the world and the pasties were originally developed for Cornish miners. These men worked deep underground and needed a lunch that would meet the demands of their work environment. The thick shortcrust dough and dense filling would stay warm for several hours until lunchtime or could be easily reheated over the flame of an oil lamp.
The pasties were sealed with a thick crimp to hold in the contents and to provide something the miner’s could hold onto while eating the pasty. In this way their dirtied fingers, which could often contain traces of arsenic, wouldn’t contaminate the rest of the pasty. The crimped edge was sometimes extended out to form a little dough handle they could hold onto and then discard when they were done eating.
The filling was a hearty one that provided needed sustenance and the pasty was compact enough that it could easily be carried in a small lunchbox down the mine and eaten without utensils. Some historians also believe that the miner’s initials would sometimes be engraved in the dough at one end of the pasty so that if the miner didn’t finish it in one sitting they could easily identify it as their own.
Thoughtful wives would even take their ingenuity a step further and make pasties that were divided in two sections: One half would contain the savory filling and the other half a sweet filling for dessert. In this way the ingenious Cornish pasty was a complete meal for Cornwall’s hard-working miners.
A Few Pics of Cornwall’s Historic Mines From Our Most Recent Trip
Tips for Making Cornish Pasties
- Depending on how thin you roll out your shortcrust pastry you risk having the “hard” ingredients (the potatoes and rutabagas) pierce through the dough. If you prefer a thinner crust and you want to avoid that you can place the softer ingredients on the top and bottom with the harder ingredients sandwiched in the middle: Place the onions on the bottom followed by the potatoes and rutabagas and then the meat on top.
- Use firm, waxy potatoes so they hold their shape. Starchy potatoes will disintegrate during baking and turn mushy.
- Use a lean cut of beef. Traditional Cornish pasties use skirt steak from the underside belly of the cow because it’s lean and free of gristle.
- Add a couple of pats of butter on top of the filling ingredients followed by a light sprinkling of flour. This will both form the gravy as well as absorb the liquids from the vegetables as their cooking to avoid a soggy pastry crust.
Can Cornish Pasties Be Frozen?
Yes. The shortcrust pastry holds up well to freezing and thawing and the filling has little liquid which means the pasties won’t get soggy. You can freeze them either baked or unbaked, whichever you prefer. Wrap each pasty individually in plastic wrap and then store the wrapped pasties in a heavy-duty freezer bag.
If you’re freezing them unbaked it’s best to cook them while frozen – don’t thaw them first. Baking time will take roughly 15-20 minutes longer.
If you’re freezing them already fully baked and cooled then you can simply reheat them in the oven (for a crispier crust) or in the microwave and you have a quick, ready-to-go meal.
How to Make Cornish Pasties
First make your shortcrust pastry.
Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times until combined. Add the cold butter and lard and pulse a few more times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the water a little at a time, pulsing between additions, until the mixture begins to come together. DO NOT over-mix the dough or the pastry crust will be tough and won’t be flaky.
Form the dough into a ball, flatten into a 1-inch thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using (this is crucial). (Can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for up to 3 months.)
Roll the pastry dough into a log and cut it into 6 equal pieces.
Wrap and keep the other 5 pieces chilled in the fridge while you’re working on one at a time. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a 8 inch circle that’s about 1/8 inch thick. You can use an 8-inch plate as your guide and cut the dough around it to form your circle.
Layer the filling (each ingredient to be divided out between 6 pasties, there may be some excess remaining): Put layer of potatoes down the center of the pastry circle, leaving about 3/4 inch space on the top and bottom edges of the pastry dough. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Next add a layer of rutabagas and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add a layer of beef followed by the onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Lay a couple of pats of butter on top of the beef and sprinkle a little flour over the filling.
Wet the tips of your fingers and lightly moisten the edges of the pastry dough.
For the remaining steps work gently so that the filling doesn’t puncture through the dough. If this happens, patch up the hole with some of the scrap pieces of pastry dough. Bring the sides up and seal the pasty down the middle.
Turn the pasty onto its side and crimp/braid the edges in traditional Cornish fashion. This is the challenging part of making traditional Cornish pasties and takes some practice. There are some YouTube videos you can look up that show how to do this.
Assemble the remaining pasties and lay them on a lined baking sheet.
Use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the center of each pasty.
Lightly brush each pasty with the beaten egg mixture.
Bake the Cornish pasties on the middle rack for 40-50 minutes until golden in color. Remove from the oven and let them sit for about 10 minutes (they will be very hot inside) before eating.
They can be reheated in the oven (recommended for a crispier crust) or microwave.
Enjoy!
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For more authentic and delicious British recipes, be sure to try our:
- Fish and Chips
- Yorkshire Pudding
- Mushy Peas
- Bangers and Mash
- Crumpets
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Mincemeat Pie
- Beef and Guinness Stew
- Spotted Dick
- Yorkshire Parkin
- Toad in the Hole
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Eccles Cakes
- Pickled Onions
- Scottish Shortbread
- Homemade Golden Syrup
- Treacle Tart
Authentic Cornish Pasties
Ingredients
For the Shortcrust Pastry:
- 3 1/2 cups (450 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 ounces (140 grams) unsalted butter , very cold, diced
- 5 ounces (140 grams) lard , very cold
- How to Render Lard (click link to learn how to make it yourself. It's super easy and much cheaper than store-bought!)
- 2/3 cup (155 ml) ice cold water
For the Cornish Pasties:
- 1 pound (450 grams) beef skirt steak or sirloin , cut into small cubes
- 1 pound (450 grams) firm, waxy potato , peeled and diced in 1/4 inch cubes, or slice them according to personal preference (**starchy potatoes will disintegrate and turn mushy so be sure to use a firm, waxy potato that will hold its shape)
- 8 ounces (225 grams) rutabaga , peeled and diced in 1/4 inch cubes, or slice them according to personal preference
- 7 ounces (195 grams) yellow onion , chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- unsalted butter (for cutting in slices to lay inside the pasties)
- all-purpose flour (for sprinkling inside the pasties)
- 1 large egg , lightly beaten
Instructions
- To Make the Shortcrust Pastry: Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times until combined. Add the cold butter and lard and pulse a few more times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water a little at a time, pulsing between additions, until the mixture begins to come together. DO NOT over-mix the dough or the pastry crust will be tough and won't be flaky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using (this is crucial). (Can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for up to 3 months.)
- To Make the Cornish Pasties: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Cut it into 6 equal pieces (rolling the dough into a log and then cutting makes this easier). Wrap and keep the other 5 pieces chilled in the fridge while you're working on one at a time. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a 8 inch circle that's about 1/8 inch thick. You can use an 8-inch plate as your guide and cut the dough around it to form your circle.
- Layer the filling (see note at end): Put layer of potatoes down the center of the pastry circle, leaving about 3/4 inch space on the top and bottom edges of the pastry dough. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Next add a layer of rutabagas, onions and finally the beef, adding a light sprinkling of salt and pepper between each layer. Lay a couple pats of butter on top of the beef and sprinkle a little flour over the filling.
- Wet the tips of your fingers and lightly moisten the edges of the pastry dough. For this next part work gently so that the filling doesn't puncture through the dough. If this happens, patch up the hole with some of the scrap pieces of pastry dough. Bring the sides up and seal the pasty down the middle. Turn the pasty onto its side and crimp the edges in traditional Cornish fashion (see blog post pictures as a visual).
- Assemble the remaining pasties and lay them on a lined baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the center of each pasty. Lightly brush each pasty with the beaten egg mixture.
- Bake the Cornish pasties on the middle rack for 40-50 minutes until golden in color. Remove from the oven and let them sit for about 10 minutes (they will be very hot inside) before eating. They can be reheated in the oven (recommended for a crispier crust) or microwave. NOTE: Depending on how full you stuff the pasties you may have leftover filling. No worries, just fry it up together or add it to soup and enjoy it as a separate meal.
Tami F says
I don’t mean to ask a stupid question but the way I read this recipe, am I to put the meat in raw? And the baking will cook it through? I am making these for the first time today with elk meat for my husband who is from Montana and has always talked about how much he loves them especially during hunting season so I am going to surprise him with some today! Thanks for the assistance!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tami, yes, the meat is diced into small pieces and is put in raw. It will cook through as the pasties bake. Happy baking! :)
Teri says
I have not tried this recipe but will tommorrow.This is the most authentic recipe I have found.I have never been to Cornwall but have lived in Upper Michigan USA and a lot of women have roots there. I fell in love with pasties! The people there used turnips or carrots. And served them with ketchup.
Jacqueline Kelly says
Thank you for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it! I spent all my childhood summers in Cornwall and it’s my “heart home”. I live in America but my family is in Cornwall right now and it’s killing me that I’m not there too! So, I figured I’d try and make my own pasties to bring a bit of Cornwall home :-) Question in your recipe – can I substitute lard for extra butter? Lard isn’t something you really see in American grocery stores so I’m not sure where to find it.
Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jacqueline, I feel your pain – our trip to England including Cornwall was canceled this year too :( Making traditional British dishes like this is a good way to help ease some of the homesickness. Yes, you can use extra butter in place of the lard. The pastry won’t be as light and flaky but it will still be thoroughly delicious. Happy baking and here’s to hopefully returning to England again before too long!
Fi says
If you can’t find lard and don’t want the extra butter then you can also use 5oz of Veggie Shortening (Crisco, also comes in stock form).
I used to travel to the UK for work and miss my pub food, beer, Sunday Roast and Pasty!!! I love mine with HP Brown Sauce (I know it’s wrong but I love that stuff). Thanks for the recipe. I’m making mine tonight. Cheers.
Anonymous says
Lard is found by the vegetable oils and Crisco in most stores. I had always assumed you couldn’t find it either. But found out it is kept on a shelf usually right next to the shortening and vegetable oil.
Anonymous says
I have seen lard in Target and Kroger
Akuma Kanji says
Hello! I’m going to try this recipe soon and I’m going to substitute the rutabaga with pumpkin. I’m just not sure if I should use the pumpkin diced or pureed. Any advices? Thank you in advance :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Akuma, I would dice the pumpkin just as you would the rutabaga.
Erik says
I finally got around to making these tonight. Given it was my first try, I was determined to focus on taste and not worrying if they exploded or didn’t look exactly like the ones in Cornwall. Happy to report there were no explosions and they looked pretty decent for the first go…but most importantly, the taste was absolutely incredible. I used half butter half suet for the pastry, and wowawiwah, I will forever use this pastry recipe. Super light and flaky, and just delicious! They took me right back to Cornwall.
I eventually figured out that popping the rolled 8” disks into the freezer for a few minutes made them way easier to work with, but as others reported, I also found there was too much filling. I weighed it all out so it would be equal and ended up using a bit fewer potatoes, but they were still too full. The bottoms got quite soggy, so I’m not sure if it was because there was too much meat, too much butter, I should’ve flipped them, or what…I may try to bake them on a rack next time and see what that does. Looking forward to making these again and incorporating the lessons learned.
PS. I used the scraps of dough to make three mince pies using your recipe. A perfect sweet treat to end the meal.
Thanks so much for posting these great authentic recipes.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Erik, I’m so happy you enjoyed them, thank you! I agree, suet makes all the difference in achieving the best pastry. Thanks so much for the feedback!
John urch says
The only complaint I got was that I did not make enough; Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s a complaint I’m more than happy to accept, John, thanks so much! :)
Suzanne Hampton Hanninen Parker says
I am following this recipe to a “T” and anticipate great things. I am the descendent of William Hampton who is apparently the ghost who haunts Bodminn prison in St. Erth, Cornwall where my grandfather was born ( not the prison). I am of Finnish and Cornish heritage and ALWAYS give credit to Cornwall for the pasty and being from Michigan I get into heated discussions about that. William Hampton was my great uncle, my grandfather’s brother. My grandmother died many years ago and before told us of a secret she would never tell. Found out about this secret via the internet. My great grandfather Richard finally traveled one more time and died in St. Erth. My mother Grace was named for his wife, Grace Hampton. . I LOVE pasties and thank you for this authentic recipe.
Jon says
Best ever!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Jon! :)
Leigh Whetter says
Not bad my ‘ansome!
As a Cornishman born and bred (though I now reside in a Cornish part of Australia), a Celt and a fierce ‘mebyon Kernow’, I must advise that Cornwall is absolutely not a part of England–Kernow Bys Vyken! (Cornwall Forever!). It is still, to this day, technically annexed from England in law. Authorities and the Crown, for pure convenience, called us a County–that we are not–we are a Country per Wales, Scotland and Mann. Many maps refer to England and Cornwall for this very reason. Our own identity, language, and right to reintroduce our Stannary Parliament denotes our nation. We are, and always be, the ‘Cornwealas’ (Saxon word translates as: ‘Welsh’–(Meaning Strangers not Wales (Wealas also gives us derivatives such as the names Wallis, Wallace etc.) of the Horn (Meaning Peninsula)= Corn Wall) I am not English, I am Cornish – The Oggie is Cornish not English. One other ingredient you didn’t mention: Cornish Love!
Oggie, Oggie, Oggie!
An Golonegyon a-bew Puptra–To the Brave Belong All Thinks (in Kernewek)
Cheers, Leigh
Renee Khmoro says
Hello there,
I want to first start off by saying thank you for such a wonderful and enjoyable site you have. I have become obsessed with Cornish history and recipes, and was glad I came across you and this recipe. I am religiously studying the recipe, (not that it’s hard) so I get comfortable with making it and not feel anxious nor nervous. When it comes to pastries (pasties) I tend to feel l overwhelmed if I don’t shape something correctly and then they come out wrong and in the bin they go- which I refuse to do.
Any tips or words of encouragement? Please and many thanks!
From the states,
Renee Khmoro
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Renee! My tip is not to worry one single bit about getting the shape and the twists right – it’s going to taste the same regardless (i.e., delicious). The first time around just focus enjoying the process of preparing the dough and filling the pastries and enjoying EATING them as you dream about Cornwall :) The finesse of shaping and twisting the edges just right can wait for another time. Happy baking, good luck, and please let us know how it goes! Kind regards, Kimberly
Renee says
Sounds great!!! Thank you! As I dream about Cornwall daily!
Anonymous says
I wish you would of kept on tying so we can hear more of your marvelous Cornish comments.
Erik says
I fell in love with Cornish pasties when I was living in Bath for a while, and I am so excited to try this recipe! I was worried that I couldn’t get the ingredients in my country, but I see your recipe uses lard instead of suet. Is that traditional? I thought they used suet in Cornwall. At any rate, I’m looking forward to trying this out!
Suzanne Argent says
Hi, I made these truly amazing pasties. I also oftentimes buy the traditional version Cornish pasties from no other then the very famous “Cornwall Pasty in Moonta Bay, South Australia. Everyone is aware of the delicious original recipe of Cornwall pasties made right there fresh daily in Montana Bay. From the city of Adelaide it’s also a gorgeous place to holiday and beautiful beach, great fishing & the locals are truly amazing. Anyhow I’m very fussy with a great Cornish pasty. I made your delicious pastry with your ingredients & OMG it turned out so beautiful. The flavours were divine. I suggest that you make the size in half size as it gives more to share around if needed. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipe with us👌🏾Winner😍😍😍😋😋😋😋❤️❤️❤️😉✊🏻👌🏾
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Suzanne, I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, thank you!
Clive Barratt says
I am sure the pasties will be lovely – however I would really not advise reheating any food containing pastry in a microwave as this article recommends – the result will be a rubbery, soggy mess. Pastry requires the heat of a conventional oven in order to retain its crispy texture.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Clive, reheating in the oven is definitely ideal for texture. Hence my first recommendation is the oven, then the microwave. I note in my blog post that reheating in the oven will yield crispier results.
David Smith says
I must try this recipe very soon. I used to live in Hampshire and frequently had to go to Cornwall for a few days on business. We always bought Cornish Pasties, freshly baked, still hot and smelling delicious, before driving back home. I used to put them in the boot (trunk) and try not to stop and eat one on the way back. I failed every time.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
A job that frequently takes you to Cornwall sounds like my kind of job, David! :) Freshly baked pasties are a real delight. Happy baking! :)
Eric Hamblin says
Spent the first ten years of my life in Cornwall then “emigrated” to far-off Devonshire. I suppose that gave me a taste for travel and, so far, I’ve lived in or spent several months visiting: Syria, Jordan, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Grenada, India … In almost all of those places I’ve eaten pasties of various flavours. But none, in my opinion, can equal the true potato-turnip-onion-leanbeef-salt’n pepper variety: a thing of beauty and a joy for … well, to the last delicious crumb.
Now, at 93, I’ve finally settled down (I think) on Canada’s lovely east coast. It reminds me of the N.coast of Cornwall, but just to remind me of my roots I continue to make pasties for the pleasure of making’em, the delight of eating’em and, occasionally, as a treat for my grown-up kids and their families.
One final anecdote: it was said in my family that one Christmas morning, my eldest brother, who had a knack of being absent whenever there were chores to be done, snuck downstairs very early to see what Santa had left him. There was a pasty wrapped in a ribbon, When Mark – brother – broke it open it contained only coal and a note which read “Now you’re up, light the fire you lazy bugger!”
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Haha, great story, Eric! :) What an incredibly rich life you’ve been living. No doubt you are a treasure trove of wonderful stories and experiences. Thanks so much for stopping by, Eric.
John Hodgson says
Don’t traditional Cornish Pasties require the dough to be kneaded to activate gluten and harden the crust so it doesn’t break too easily?
I’ve also experience the widely eaten Mexican version and heard the same stories about their origins from the Cornish miners. They ones I have found all over Mexico are called ‘empandas’ which can be translated as ‘covered in bread’. They are a bit smaller than Cornish Pasties and have a huge choice of sweet or savory fillings.