Venison pasties are a huge hit with my family. What’s not to love about a rich, meat-and-potato-filled, golden crusted hand pie? And they get to eat the ground venison in something other than spaghetti and casseroles.
Brief History
Tradition has it that pasties, also sometimes called hand pies, originated in Europe (Cornwall, United Kingdom, to be specific), but their popularity grew quickly, thanks to Cornish sailors and miners. They are thought to be the inspiration behind its international variants—the Chinese shaobing, Canadian tourtière, or Latin American empanada.
A few notes on preparation
As convenient and fun as venison pasties are to eat, they do take some time to cook and assemble. Preparing the dough ahead of time is definitely a smart idea. I like to keep some in the freezer and simply thaw it out before use. Making a double batch of pasties and freezing some is also a good idea.
For the dough, I like to use use half butter, half vegetable shortening (Earth Balance buttery sticks); but you could use all butter if you don’t have any shortening on hand.
Last thing: You’ll notice that the recipe calls for 3/4 lb. ground venison. No, it’s not a typo. You could use a whole pound, but you’ll end up with extra filling. Or you could just save that 1/4 lb. and throw it in something else (here are some leftover venison ideas). Happy cooking!
Savory Venison Pasties
Golden-crusted pasties with potato and ground venison filling
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups white flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces (I use Earth Balance vegetable shortening buttery sticks)
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 3/4 cup ice water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 3/4 lb. ground venison
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground sage
- 1/2 tsp ground rosemary
- 2 cups cubed yellow potatoes (about 2 potatoes)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 tbsp flour (optional)
- 1/4 cup beef broth (optional)
Instructions
Dough
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Combine flours and salt in large mixing bowl. In a large measuring cup, prepare ice water and mix in vinegar.
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Add butter and shortening pieces. Using a dough cutter or pastry blender, combine until mixture is crumbly.
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Mix in water a little at a time, kneading it in with your hands, being careful to not overwork the dough. Finished product should be pliable, but not sticky. Incorporate a small amount of water or flour if needed. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.
Filling
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Heat the olive oil in large pan. Add onion and saute for two minutes.
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Add ground venison to the pan. Cook over medium heat for five minutes (meat will be slightly pink). Mix in spices.
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Stir in cubed potatoes, Worcestershire, and peas. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are just slightly tender (approx. 8-10 minutes). If you like a moister pasty, sprinkle mixture with 1 tbsp flour. Mix in, then add 1/4 cup beef broth, cooking for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Assembly
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Divide dough into seven equal balls.
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Flour your rolling surface and rolling pin. Flatten each ball of dough into a circle, 6.5" in diameter, adding more flour to surface and rolling pin as needed.
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Take one piece of flattened dough at a time and add heaping 1/3 cup of the cooled filling mixture to half of the circle. Fold the other half over the filling and pinch the edges together to seal.
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Bake on middle rack in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool slightly and serve with rice and brown gravy.
You may also like: Venison Tacos (Bulk Taco Meat Seasoning Recipe)