Pasties are a brilliantly practical idea, but putting a savory filling on one side and a sweet filling on the other is simply ingenious. I can not take credit for this idea, as it has existed since before the pasty ever left Cornwall. Years ago, I wrote the draft for this recipe, but simply forgot and never got around to making it. I come from a family of foodies, and ended up in a conversation about pasties at our annual reunion this past summer. My cousin, Todd, mentioned he once enjoyed a duo-filled version, and I was grateful for the reminder.
Historically, a strip of stale bread was used to separate the sweet and savory fillings. Some people who make these use a small scrap of pastry dough instead. I decided to use complementary flavors, so I did not find it necessary to separate the two. The savory pork side has a selection of fall vegetables and sage browned butter, and the apple pie side also has a bit of the herb butter to tie both sides together. This style of pasty usually has 2/3-3/4 savory to 1/3-1/4 sweet ratios, but I have a serious sweet tooth, so I did about 50/50.
I think these would also be good with ground venison, and maybe swap rosemary or thyme in place of the sage. The pasty crust I used is the easiest recipe I have found, and it is still surprisingly flaky. You can use lard in place of the shortening, but shortening has a higher melting point and a more neutral flavor. I made these large enough to feed the hungriest of miners, but you can make smaller pasties, if preferred. I marked the savory side with one slash so one would eat that first, and two slashes on the sweet side, to eat that second.
Pork and Apple Pie Pasties
Ingredients:
Fool-Proof Pasty Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for rolling)
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup room temperature vegetable shortening
1/2 cup room temperature water (as needed)
Sage Browned Butter:
1 stick unsalted butter
3 large sage leaves
Pork Filling:
8 ounces bulk pork sausage
3/4 cup diced Yukon gold potatoes (about 1/4 inch thick)
1/2 cup peeled and diced fresh butternut squash (about 1/4 inch thick)
1/2 cup chopped fresh curly kale leaves
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 strip thick-cut cooked and crumbled applewood-smoked bacon
2 tablespoons sage browned butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Apple Pie Filling:
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced (about 1/4 inch thick)
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sage browned butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch of salt
To Bake:
1 large egg, beaten
Instructions:
Fool-Proof Pasty Crust:
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Mix in the shortening with a pastry blender or your fingertips until coarse and crumbly. Add the water, a couple tablespoons at a time, until the dough achieves a play dough-like texture. Cover and chill while proceeding with the recipe.
Sage Browned Butter:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling often. Add sage, and fry until it turns dark green, flipping often. Once the butter turns golden brown, pour into a heat-proof bowl. Drain the sage on a paper towel and crumble finely once cool. Add back to the butter. Set aside until needed.
Pork filling:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, breaking up the meat as you mix.
Apple Pie Filling:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
To Bake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Divide the pasty dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one half to an 11 inch circle. Place half of the savory filling on the lower left quarter of the circle, keeping it about 1 1/2 inches from the edge. Place half of the sweet filling on the lower right quarter, also keeping it away from the edge. Pull the top half of dough over the filling, and pinch edges to seal. Crimp as you would for pie crust. Repeat with the remaining pasty ingredients. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash. Score each pasty with 1 slash on the savory side and 2 slashes on the sweet side. Bake for 1 hour or until deep golden brown, rotating pans halfway through baking time.
Yield: 2 generous servings
Notes:
Reserve the remaining butter for another use, such as tossing with pasta or drizzling over roasted squash.
