There is an area in Mexico where the Cornish Pasty has evolved into a Paste. In 1825, a group of miners from Cornwall set sail to the new world. They headed to a mineral-rich area in Real del Monte, Hidalgo. They brought with them more than machinery. After years of hardships and success, one of the most important things they left behind was the Paste. A Cornish Pasty that has adapted to the Mexican palate with the use of local flavours. Today, the Paste is a traditional dish from this area, also known as Paste Hidalguense or Pasty from Hidalgo.
There are some differences between these two pastries. The Paste is made with dough that stays hard after cooking. This keeps the pastry easier to hold and the fillings hot for longer. Another difference is that to make the Paste, the fillings are raw when placed inside the dough. Everything cooks at the same time.
Today, there’s even a food festival named Festival Internacional del Paste where during three days, the town of Mineral del Monte transforms the streets into a tasting area, all in the name of the Paste. There is also a museum in its honour.
To celebrate this fusion, we wanted to have a much easier version of this pasty. We made it with picadillo and we used store-bought puff pastry. These pasties are full of flavour, ready in no time and perfect for lunch with a fresh salad.
Serves 8 Small Pasties
-3 Puff pastry sheets
-1 Egg for brushing plus a splash of water
-300g Beef mince
-1 Carrot finely diced
-3 Tbsp white onion finely diced
-2 Chipotles in Adobo La Costena
-½ Red pepper finely diced
-1/4 cup peas
-1 Garlic clove finely diced
-1 Tbsp tomato paste
-¼ cup Tomato sauce
-½ Beef bouillon
-2 Tbsp Adobo Seasoning
-Salt & black pepper to taste
1 Bring a pan to medium-high heat and fry the beef for 8 minutes, trying to separate any lumps. Season with salt and pepper.
2 Add the carrots and keep cooking for 8 minutes more.
3 Add the peppers and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, adobo seasoning and mix well.
4 Add the tomato sauce, the peas and the beef bouillon and incorporate well. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
5 Adjust seasoning to taste and reserve.
6 Set oven to 200°C
7 Work the puff pastry to obtain two small circles, about 11cm, from each sheet. With the leftover pastry cuts, you can obtain two more circles easily.
8 Place the puff pastry circles onto a baking tray and add a heaped tablespoon of the picadillo in the centre of each circle
9 Whisk the egg with just a splash of cold water.
10 Brush the edge of half the circumference of each circle and fold. The egg wash should help to close the two edges. Use a fork to press along the edges to make sure they are sealed. With the help of a knife, make 3 small cuts onto the pastry so steam can come out while baking.
11 Place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Let them cool for 20 minutes before enjoying.
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