Cornish Pasties

For the pastry:
350g / 12 oz self-raising flour
75g / 3 oz butter or margarine
75g / 3 oz lard or white vegetable fat
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the filling:
550g / 1 1/4 lb braising steak, very finely chopped
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
200g / 7 oz swede, peeled and diced
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small egg, beaten, to glaze

To garnish: tomato slices or wedges sprigs of fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4, about 15 minutes before required. To make the pastry, sift the flour into a large bowl and add the fats, chopped into little pieces. Rub the fats and flour together until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix again.

Add about 2 tablespoons of cold water, a little at a time, and mix until the mixture comes together to form a firm but pliable dough. Turn on to a lightly floured surface, knead until smooth, then wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

To make the filling, put the braising steak in a large bowl with the onion. Add the potatoes and swede to the bowl together with the Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Mix well.

Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll each ball into a circle about 25.5cm / 10 inches across. Divide the filling between the circles of pastry. Wet the edge of the pastry, then fold over the filling. Pinch the edges to seal. Transfer the pasties to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Make a couple of small holes in each pasty and brush with beaten egg. Cook in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, remove and brush again with the egg. Return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool slightly, garnish with tomato and parsley and serve.