Best of the west...Cornish pasties

Pasties once made hearty meals for tin miners and their families, and they're just as handy today for picnics and meals on the move. Make your own from our authentic recipe.

Traditionally made at home, Cornish pasties were the perfect packed lunch to take to work in the tin mines or to school. Every family would have their own recipe, and often make variations for different family members. Each pasty was then marked with people's initials to tell which was which. The basic ingredients remain essentially the same: braising steak, onion, potato and swede (known in Cornwall as turnip). The balance was dictated by economics; more steak when times were good, or all vegetable when times were hard. Pastry was made with lard for a short texture but we've made ours with half lard, half butter as it's easier to work with.

For a rich, buttery flavour, replace all the lard with butter. Or use ready-made shortcrust pastry, if you prefer.

Recipe:

Cornish pasties