COOK: Yooper (ish) Pasties with Venison and Roasted Root Vegetables and Spent Grain Butter Crust
I’m working on my (hopeful) future UP resident entrance exam submission by cooking up some pasties, both plain and fancy, and trying to perfect my venison pasty recipe… I assume this will be on the test?
Either way, these savory pockets of sturdy hot water crust and hearty fillings are delicious and worth the little bit of work to assemble, and they’ll have you dreaming of summer days picnicking on the Michigan shores of Lake Superior in no time (no Lower Harbor Park ore dock view included), or at least, in less time than it would take for you to drive there…unless you’re already up there, in which case, don’t rub it in, and save some snow for us till we get there, eh?
Speaking of snow, these pasties freeze well… which would be a cruel joke if they didn’t, since it can be below freezing in most of the UP almost half the year?
So make a big batch and put ’em in a cooler on your porch, and you’re good to go till spring (unless a bear eats them. Which might happen. So, maybe don’t do that, or at least don’t say we didn’t warn you… But seriously, don’t feed the bears… a fed bear is a dead bear, and that’s no joke).
Your freezer will work just fine too (and is probably safer).
What the heck is a Pasty?
(first off, it’s pahhh-stie, not pay-sty)
They’re the original hot pocket, with roots in Cornwall and other nearby regions in the UK, and meant to fuel a miner or laborer through a hard day underground or in the fields.
With a hot pasty wrapped up in your pocket, you had a ready lunch that doubled as a hand warmer, and if it got cold before break time, just heat it up on a hot shovel over a coal brazer. Or I guess you could use a microwave now (less crispy crust, but also less carcinogens… life is just full of trade-offs, isn’t it)?
Traditional fillings are usually a mixture of meat and sturdy root vegetables, simply seasoned with salt and black pepper, although you can put just about anything you like in there (as long as you don’t mind getting yelled at by a stickler for tradition). Beef is probably the most common, but given how many hunting camps there are up north, this venison pasty recipe is also very traditional.
Pasties are polarizing- feuds have started over proper fillings and accompaniments… Ground beef or braised chunks of roast or steak? Add rutabagas with the carrots and potatoes, or nah? Ketchup or gravy? You will find vocal defenders of each of these versions, each insisting their way is the best.
We’re solidly Team Rutabaga, and don’t (yet) have strong opinions on the form-factor of the meat or the sauce- they’re both delicious? I will say, I’m not usually a ketchup fan, but it really does work well with these.
Our Favorite: This Venison Pasty Recipe
These have a sturdy hot water butter crust with a touch of spent grain (dried and milled, although you can use whole wheat pastry flour instead), and are filled with venison and roasted rutabaga, Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, and onions.
We ran out of ketchup last time we made them (even after raiding the stash of to-go packets we save for camping, whoops), so last night I made a burgundy mushroom gravy and served some sweet and spicy beet and carrot kraut on the side… so speaking of sides, we’re not picking one on the gravy/ketchup debate… either way, they’re so good.
Yooper Pasties with Venison and Roasted Root Vegetables and Spent Grain Hot Water Pastry
Ingredients
Spent Grain Hot Water Butter Crust
- 3.5 cups all purpose flour (plus extra for bench flour when working with the dough)
- ½ cup dried, milled, and sifted spent grain flour (can substitute whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (reduce slightly if not using kosher flakes)
- 8 oz butter or lard (room temperature or chilled)
- 8 oz HOT water (boiled and very slightly cooled)
Venison and Root Vegetable Filling
- 3 lb venison roast or steak, cut into 1" cubes (can substitute ground venison, or use beef, mutton, lamb, or goat)
- 3-5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (not traditional, but why wouldn't you?)
- 1 lb yukon gold or red potatoes, scrubbed and small-medium diced (peel potatoes if you like or if skins are thick)
- 1 medium rutabaga, peeled and small-medium diced
- ½ lb carrots, peeled and small-medium diced
- 2 medium onions, peeled and small-medium diced
- 3-4 stalks celery, washed and small-medium diced (optional, not traditional)
- 1-2 tsp thyme or marjoram (not traditional, but nice)
- tt salt and fresh ground pepper
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil for roasting veggies & searing meat
Instructions
Spent Grain Hot Water Crust
- By Hand: Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter or lard into 8-10 chunks and add to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, rub or cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly and no larger than pea-sized chunks remain.By Machine: Combine dry ingredients in a stand mixer with paddle or food processor bowl with blade. Add the chunks of fat as above, and mix or pulse food processor until crumbly.
- By Hand: Add the almost boiling water and mix with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Once the dough is just cool enough to handle, knead it lightly in the bowl to combine, or turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and use a bench scraper and then your hands to lightly knead it until it comes together... not as thoroughly as a bread dough- you are not trying to develop the gluten (which has been coated by the fat) but you don't have to be as delicate with it as a typical pie crust. If it's very sticky, gently knead in more flour until it feels workable (dough will be soft while it's hot). By Machine: Pour in the almost boiling water in a steady stream while the mixer is running (pulse food processor so you don't overwork the dough). Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface or shallow bowl proceed as above.
- You can use the dough immediately (though it will be soft and harder to work with), or wrap the dough ball tightly with plastic wrap, or oil the surface of the dough and place in a tightly covered bowl. Let dough rest in fridge while you make the filling.
Venison and Roasted Root Vegetable Filling
- Dice the veggies- see note above about sizing. If you are roasting the veggies, cut medium to large dice (1/2"-3/4"), and preheat the oven to 400° F. Otherwise, cut small dice (1/4"). Whichever you choose, it's important to try to keep the pieces a uniform size so that they cook evenly.
- For roasted veggies, spread them out in a single layer on sheet pans and toss with vegetable oil (olive oil or your choice of neutral flavored oil). Season with salt and pepper and roast until they just start to turn tender and sweet (25-35 minutes, but this will vary based on your oven and size of dice).
- While the veggies are roasting, you will lightly sear the meat. Season first with salt and pepper to taste, and get a large heavy (preferably cast iron) pan hot over medium-high heat. You want a hot pan so you can get a good sear, but not quite smoking hot. Add a couple tablespoons of high heat oil (like peanut or grapeseed) or tallow or lard and then immediately add the cubes of meat- they should sizzle immediately but not burn. Leave them to sear a bit on each side before turning them. A good pair of tongs are helpful here.
- When the meat is browned, add the thyme and garlic, if using. If you are working with a tender cut of meat, this is all they will need. If the roast you cubed is tougher, you can deglaze the pan with some wine or stock (or even hot water) and let them braise a bit at a low simmer until they are tender and the excess liquid evaporates (or drain and save this liquid for gravy).
- In a large bowl or roasting pan, combine the meat and veggies and adjust seasoning if necessary. Let cool slightly while you roll out the dough.
Pasty Assembly
- You can make large dinner plate sized pasties or smaller snack sized hand-pies- it's up to you! Portion the dough out into balls, and keep covered while you roll out individual circles on a lightly floured surface or Silpat. Use a bench scraper if the dough is sticking.
- The quantity of filling will vary depending on the size of the pies- add a generous amount of filling to the center of the circle that will still allow you to close the pastry.
- Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, lift the top half of the dough circle and fold over to form a half moon. The dough should easily seal to itself, but if it is dry, you can brush it with water, milk, or egg wash.
- Fold the rounded edge of the dough over onto itself and crimp the dough closed using your forefingers or knuckles. You can also use a floured fork to crimp the edge sealed after you fold it over.
- Lift the pasty onto a baking sheet with your bench scraper or spatula, and repeat until you are out of dough or filling. Using the tip of a paring knife, cut 2-3 small steam vents in the tops by lightly poking and twisting the dough with the knife. If you want glossy pasties, brush lightly with egg wash, milk, or melted butter. Remaining dough can be refrigerated for a day or frozen for several weeks. Remaining filling freezes well for quick pasties, or can be added to a stew or casserole.
- Bake in a hot oven (425° F) for 10-15 minutes, then reduce oven temp to 350° F. Large pasties can take another 30-50 minutes, while smaller ones will cook faster. If you are uncertain (and definitely if you are using raw filling) use a calibrated thermometer to check the temperature of the center of the filling (at least 145F, which will carry over a bit... if you are using commercial ground meat, err on the side of caution and make sure the center reaches 165 F for food safety).
- To freeze, let baked pasties cool, then wrap in foil. Store in ziplock bags or tightly sealed freezer containers, and reheat in the foil- no need to thaw (remove foil if using a microwave, though this will make them soggy- an oven or toaster oven is best).
