Deborah Clasen's Pasty Recipe

Pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup water

Filling:
3 pounds chuck roast, excess fat trimmed off and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8-10 medium potatoes, diced
1 large rutabaga (about 2 to 2 1/2 cups, diced)
2 medium onions, sliced thinly
3 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper (or to taste)

For dough: Add salt to the flour and cut the shortening into the flour. Add the egg to the water and vinegar and slightly mix. Add the egg mixture to the flour and stir into a soft ball of pastry.

For filling: Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Taking enough dough (about 1/8 of the ball) and roll it out on a floured cloth, using a 9-inch pie plate for sizing. Moisten one half of the pastry edge with cool water. Place 1 to 1-1/2 cups of the mixture onto half of the pastry, the side closest to the moistened edge. If your meat isn't marbled, you can add 1 tablespoon margarine for additional flavor.

Flip the remaining half of the pastry over the mixture and seal edges. Place on cookie sheets, greased if preferred. Using a fork, poke several holes into the top of the pasty for the heat to escape.

Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, or until light golden brown on tops. Remove from oven, loosen on pans and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Pasties can be frozen when fully cooled. When reheating, place on cookie sheet in a 350-degree oven until hot in the center. Yield: 8 to 10 pasties