The Beef Pasty - There is Only 1 True and Genuine Recipe In Michigan (2024)

FAQs

What are Michigan pasties made of? ›

Pasties were the original fast food of copper miners and lumberjacks. Brought here from the mining region of Cornwell, England, U.P. wives would fill the rolled-out dough with leftover beef, potato, onion and rutabaga, fold the pastry in half, seal the edges and bake.

The Upper Peninsula food pasty, pronounced “pass” “tee” is not to be confused with the body (nipple) covering pasty pronounce “paste” “tee”.

In Michigan, where 19th-century Cornish immigrants brought the pasty into the iron mines of the Upper Peninsula, the pasty has been celebrated with local festivals and statewide proclamations. The Cornish pasty descends from a broader family of medieval English meat pies.

The traditional Cornish pasty has sliced vegetables while the evolved Yooper pasty has diced vegetables. The correct way to eat a pasty is from the top down, so if you don't finish the two pound pastry you can save it for later.

Cornish and Finnish immigrants settled in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.) in the 1860s to mine copper and iron ore. The tradition of taking pasties down into the mines continued.

Pasty. Pass-tee. Not “pace-tee,” the citizens of Michigan's Upper Peninsula are quick to point out. Beef, potatoes, onions, and turnips baked into a crispy golden crust—sound it out, and you've got something that sounds delicious.

Lehto's Pasties was started in 1947 by Mr. Lehto after he served in WWII and was honorably discharged from the army in 1946. It is one of the Original Famous Pasty Shops located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Pasties can be found in Wisconsin's largest cities, Madison and Milwaukee, as well as in the far northern region along the border with Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Milk – In Michigan, you'll likely be confused when you hear this pronounced as “melk.” I'm still confused by this, but welcome to Michigan…

The word Yooper comes from the common nickname of Michigan's Upper Peninsula—the "U.P."—and the etymology requires the same follow-up question that a challenging joke does: "Get it?" If you're not there yet, try saying them both out loud: Yooper, U.P.

Where did beef pasties originate? ›

The Cornish Pasty originates from Cornwall (Southwest England) and can be traced back as far as the 1200's. Mining was once a thriving industry in Cornwall and at that time pasties were baked by the wives and mothers of the tin miners.

past·​ies ˈpā-stēz. : small round coverings for a woman's nipples worn especially by a stripteaser.

Since 2011, the Cornish Pasty has enjoyed protected status under Protected Food Names legislation; so only a pasty made to a specific recipe in Cornwall can be called a “Cornish Pasty”.

The traditional recipe for the pasty filling is beef with potato, onion and swede, which when cooked together forms a rich gravy, all sealed in its own packet! As meat was much more expensive in the 17th and 18th centuries, its presence was scarce and so pasties traditionally contained much more vegetable than today.

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.

For shortcrust pastry

(rough puff can also be used): 500 g strong bread flour (it is important to use a stronger flour than normal as you need the extra strength in the gluten to produce strong pliable pastry) 120 g lard or white shortening.

Buckram. Buckram is a material that is most often found in things like the lining of hats. It is a firm material that can be molded to whatever shape you create when it's damp, and then it dries in that form. Buckram is a great material to line your pasties so that you can apply adhesives and make them more durable.

Then a genuine Cornish pasty must only contain: Roughly diced or minced beef. Sliced or diced potato. Swede (turnip)

A Healthier Option Than Most Fast Food

Cornish pasties are made of simple ingredients which makes them much healthier than other fast food. It is stuffed with real vegetables, not just lettuce leaves and tomatoes as in fast food burgers. The swede fillings are enriched with calcium which is good for building the bone.