Dude I thought of something from the way back for me…it is something you can only get around Minnesota, Upper Michigan and extreme northern Wisconsin…it is a meat pie called a pasty (pronounced phonetically as pah-stee) and is an old immigrant recipe brought over by the Fins and Welsh.  It was real big back in the day for the miners working the northern hills and mountains.  I used to eat them all the time as I am from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan but since I moved to Colorado I only get them about once a year when I go home.  I have tried making them but nothing beats the ones my mom or grandma throws down in the oven.  Yum!  Double yum!

Original Pasty Recipe

3 c. flour
1 1/2 sticks butter (cold and cut into bits)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. water

In a large bowl, combine flour, butter and salt.  Blend ingredients until well combined and add water, one tablespoon at a time to form a dough.  Toss mixture until it forms a ball.  Kneed dough lightly against a smooth surface with heel of the hand to distribute fat evenly.  Form into a ball, dust with flour, wrap in wax paper and chill for 30 minutes.

filling

1 lb. round steak, coarsely ground
1 lb. boneless pork loin, coarsely ground
5 carrots, chopped
2 lg. onions, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 c. rutabaga, chopped (can substitute turnip)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.  Divide the dough into 6 pieces, and roll one of the pieces into a 10-inch round on a lightly floured surface.  Put 1 1/2 cups of filling on half of the round.  Moisten the edges and fold the unfilled half over the filling to enclose it.  Pinch the edges together to seal them and crimp them decoratively with a fork.  Transfer pasty to lightly buttered baking sheet and cut several slits in the top.  Roll out and fill the remaining dough in the same manner.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Put 1 tsp. butter through a slit in each pasty and continue baking for 30 minutes more.  Remove from oven, cover with a damp tea towel, cool for 15 minutes.

This recipe came from the Milwaukee Journal March 28, 1943.

Upper Peninsula Pasties

4 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. shortening
yellow Fluffo
10 T. ice water
2 lbs. round steak
5 peeled and chopped large potatoes
1 (1 1/2 c.) small cubed turnip or rutabaga
1 to 2 large onion, finely chopped
1 T. salt,
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

In a large chilled bowl combine sifted flour and salt.  Cut in shortening (I use yellow Fluffo for a nice color and texture) with a pastry blender or two knifes until the mixture looks like coarse corn meal.  I rub the flour and ft together with my fingers quickly to produce the coarse crumb.  Pour in ice water, toss and gather into a ball.  Add more water if necessary to hold dough together.  Divide dough into 6 equal parts.  Dust each ball with flour and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill 1 hour or more.

In a large mixing bowl combine round steak which has been trimmed of all excess fat and cut into 1/4 inch cubes with peeled and chopped potatoes, scraped and diced or bued turnip, finely chopped onion, salt and pepper.  Mix thoroughly so that seasoning will be well blended.

Roll out each ball of dough on a lightly floured board to 1/4 inch thick circle.  Place 1 1/2 cups of filling on circle.  Fold up one side of circle.  Fold up one side of circle, then fold over the other side.  Pinch edges of dough together enclosing the filling, forming a double thick band of dough along the seam.  Moisten edged and crimp into a decorated edge with the fingers.  Slash a vent in the top for steam to escape.  Place on cookie sheet.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown.  Delicious served with catsup or chili sauce. 

This recipe is by Paula Sadak and she hails from Munising, MI.

PS

To all my east coast friends…come to Munising sometime and check out what the North Country is all about!  Just do a google image search for Picture Rocks National Lakeshore and you will see what I mean!  And you can get some good stick to your ribs pasties while you are there!

http://www.munising.com