Cornish Pasties

To serve as a meal, accompany with mashed potatoes, green vegetables and homemade gravy. They are great hot or cold for picnics or in the lunchbox.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup solid vegetable shortening (at room temperature)
6 tablespoons ice water
1 teaspoon salt
Milk for brushing pastry
8 ounces lean ground beef
6 ounces good, firm potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon dried, mixed herbs
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
4 or 5 tablespoons beef or chicken stock or gravy

Combine 1/2 cup flour, shortening, ice water and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon. With fingertips, blend in remaining flour quickly, without working it too much. If there is not enough moisture to combine it, add no more than 3 tablespoons of ice water a little at a time. Gather it into a ball, cover with a damp cloth and refrigerate.

While the pastry is relaxing, mix beef, potatoes, onion, herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl and add enough stock or gravy to combine the mixture.

Divide the pastry, leaving half in the refrigerator. Roll out to about 1/16 inch thick and cut 5- or 6-inch circles. Repeat with the other half of the pastry. Do not reuse scraps as they will have been rolled twice and this will cause the pastry to shrink and be tough.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Mound meat mixture evenly in the center of each circle and brush each with milk. Fold the pastry over so that one side meets the opposite side and pinch together. The shape should be a half moon with crinkle edges where you have pinched them together. Brush all over lightly with milk. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F and bake another 45 minutes until the pastry is a light brown and they smell good.