Beef Pasties with Caramelized Onions and Stilton Cheese

From the kitchen of Carly

Buttery pastry crust cradles seasoned beef with deeply caramelized onions and sharp Stilton cheese. The filling is savory and rich, while the homemade crust stays flaky and tender. A proper hand pie that satisfies completely.

Beef Pasties with Caramelized Onions and Stilton Cheese

A proper pasty is really just an excuse to eat caramelized onions and blue cheese in a buttery crust. Stilton melts into the beef and wine-softened onions, turning the filling jammy and sharp all at once. The crust is a classic laminated dough, crisp and flaky where it matters most, because the filling is too good to hide.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 cupunbleached all purpose flour
  • 1 cupwhite whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/8 tspsalt
  • 1/2 cupsolid vegetable shortening , frozen
  • 1/2 cupchilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 7 tbspice water
  • 4 tspolive oil
  • 2 largeonions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cupdry white wine
  • 1/2 tspdried thyme
  • 10 ozskirt steak, cut crosswise on diagonal into 1/4-inch-wide strips
  • 1 tspcoarse kosher salt, divided
  • 6 ozcoarsely crumbled Stilton blue cheese , divided
  • 1 largeegg white
  • 1beaten to blend

Instructions

  1. Pulse both flours and salt in a food processor for 5 seconds. Drop the shortening in by tablespoonfuls and cut it in until coarsely distributed, then add the butter and continue cutting until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Tip it all into a bowl, pour in 7 tablespoons of ice water, and toss with a fork until moist clumps come together, adding more water a teaspoon at a time if the dough feels dry. Press into a ball, divide into 4 equal pieces, and flatten each into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or up to 1 day.

  2. Pour the oil into a heavy large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, reducing the heat as needed to prevent burning, until they turn a deep, rich brown, about 30 minutes. Pour in the wine, sprinkle in the thyme, and simmer, stirring often, until all the liquid cooks off, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then spread the onions out to cool completely.

  3. Position one oven rack in the top third and one in the bottom third, then preheat to 400 degrees F. Working one at a time, roll each dough disk between sheets of parchment paper into a 9-inch round, then peel off the top sheet. Spread one quarter of the onion mixture over half of each round, keeping a 1-inch border clear around the edge. Lay the beef strips over the onions, scatter 1/4 teaspoon of coarse salt over the beef on each round, then crumble on one quarter of the cheese. Add a few grinds of pepper. Brush the plain border with egg white, then use the bottom parchment to help fold the bare half of dough over the filling. Press the edges firmly to seal, fold the sealed edge over once more, and run a fork along it for a double seal.

  4. Brush the top of each pasty with egg white, then cut 3 slits into the top crust to let steam escape. Slide the pasties, still resting on their parchment, onto 2 large rimmed baking sheets.

  5. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Let the pasties cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Caramelize the onions low and slow, no rushing. If they're browning too fast, drop the heat to medium-low and cover the pan between stirs.
  • Keep your shortening and butter cold until the last second, and don't overwork the dough after adding water. Lumps of fat are what make the pastry flaky.
  • Brush the sealed edges with egg white before the second fold, not just the border, so they stick hard and don't split open in the oven.

Variations

  • Swap the skirt steak for sirloin tips if you want something less sinewy, or use a mix of beef and pork for a richer, less sharp filling.
  • Drop the Stilton for aged cheddar and add a tablespoon of grainy mustard to the onion mixture if blue cheese feels too bold.
  • Use a handful of arugula or watercress in place of some beef for a vegetarian version, and add a fried egg yolk or crème fraîche to the onion filling.

Make ahead and storage

Cover leftover pasties loosely and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a 325°F oven for about 10 minutes, or eat cold, which is honestly great.