Dry Cornish pasty please help

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

Hi I am trying to make Cornish pasties and succeeded, they look great but the filling is really dry. I used uncooked chopped beef, onion, carrot and peas for the filling. Any advice on how to get a nice rich gravey in the filling

[Earthymama]

I'm vegetarian but I'll chip in if you don't mind.

I made lentil and root veg pasties this week. Welsh not Cornish
I cooked the lentils in water til they were softened. i use puy or green lentils.
I sauted onions, leeks and garlic until soft and slightly browned.
Then added cubed potatoes, celeriac, swede and carrots, stirred around for a few minutes then covered with salted water and cooked til veg were soft enough for a knife.
Mixed with lentils and added bouillion.

Casting my mind back I would probably have sauted floured meat, added onions etc and cooked in stock, I might even have added a little flour to thicken the gravy.

We had pasty with veg and onion gravy on Wed and then with chips and beans on Thursday.

Lovely

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

Thanks for advice, instinct tells me to cook meat with some stock and flour. Apparently you are meant to put the meat in raw. Think I will ignore this and precook filling.
Tempted to try your veggie ones they sound great.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Traditional Cornish pasties are not gravy-filled. They were designed as a tin miners' self-contained snack and that big crusty edge was a 'handle' for grubby hands, meant to be thrown away, not eaten. It would have been awkward if there was gravy to tackle as well. If you want a more moist filling, use meat with more fat.

[sleepevader]

www.thechoughbakery.co.uk/recipes.asp

Don't put gravy in it!!!

[LoveBeingAMummyAgain]

Sorry another one who says no gravy!

[sleepevader]

I'm rubbish at baking so leave the pasty making to my baker friends.

It's skirt beef you need. The fat will make it's own gravy type juices according to that recipe so it's moist but not too moist.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

A knob of butter added to the filling also helps...

[Scaryinaggie]

As a cornish person, please do not put carrots or peas in a pasty. It’s sacrilege.
Berrimans pasties
Ingredients
Pastry (make a day in advance, freeze overnight and get out to thaw in the morning for afternoon pasty making)
Makes 8-12 pasties depending how big u want them.
1.5 LB plain flour
6oz lard (very cold)
6oz butter (very cold)
Teaspoon of salt
Iced water
Sift flour into a large bowl
Grate butter and lard into flour (colder and harder the fat, the easier to grate)
Rub in until fat is in smaller pellets, but not rubbed right into crumbs like you would crumble for instance)
Bind together with the iced water.
IMPORTANT the pastry SHOULD NOT be overworked, 'just' combined otherwise it will be like concrete. The lumps of fat create the flakes in the pastry instead of super smooth but tough pastry. So as soon as you feel you have enough water in it to not be too wet and just mixed with your fingers until the flour has almost mixed in, stop. The more you work the pastry the tougher it gets and will be like concrete. The least mixed the lighter and flakier.
Wrap in cling film
Put in the fridge for 24 hours or preferably the freezer.
Let it thaw naturally.
Divide into equal amounts (10 usually in my house) form gently into balls without kneading or handling too much. Dust and put on a plate. Pop them in the freezer for 15 mins to get them cold and firm. Take them out one at a time to roll and create!
Filling
1.5LB good quality well hung beef BODY skirt (best cut)
Half a small swede
Large onion diced
2 potatoes
2 heaped teaspoons salt (yes that much!)
1-1.5 teaspoons white pepper
Pinch of Chinese 5 spice powder
Slug of Worcestershire sauce
Big knobs of butter
Egg wash
Dice meat into a big bowl cutting off any 'chewy' bits that may be unpleasant if you bite into it in the pasty.
Chip bits off the swede into the bowl, do not use a food processor as it makes the bits too sharp and it pokes out of the pastry.
Do the same with the potatoes.
Add the onion and seasoning
Mix well
Method
Dust surface well. Divide pastry into 8 - 12
1 roll with a rolling pin, turn 45 degrees
Repeat until a nice circle is formed.
Don't worry if it's not round, you can trim it later.
Put the rolling pin under the pastry circle so that you have half the disk flat on the worktop and the rolling pin is forming a back to rest your filling against.
Scoop a big spoon of mixture from the bottom of the bowl and fill your pasty. Be generous, your pastry will stretch!
Place a big knob of butter on the top to make the gravy.
Put a light brush of egg wash around the edge of the pastry for sticking purposes and bring the top over to meet.
Trim off any excess pastry if your circle went awry and ensure there is no it air bubbles between filling and where you will crimp.
Crimping....how can I explain this in words...? I do it one handed otherwise you have too many fingers in the way.
I put another light brush of egg wash on edge and do a double roll of the pastry crimp, then another double roll etc. A double roll ensures no leakage of your gravy.
Any splits in the pastry, patch them with egg wash and a bit of pastry. Any holes and your gravy will come out.
Egg wash all visible pastry
Put on a non stick baking tray
200 degrees for 20 minutes

Lay a piece of greaseproof paper lightly over the top of the tray of pasties when you turn the temp down, this stops them over browning.
take off 10 mins before end and see if the need browning up a little...

Turn down to 170-180 for 40 minutes
Leave to cool for a bit like you would a good steak.
Eat & Enjoy...
Cook as soon as you make them or freeze straight away as raw, adding 10 mins to cooking time.