Makes: 6 servings
Time: About 1½ hours
These traditional English hand pies (pronounced PASStees) are stuffed with chopped steak and vegetables (most notably rutabaga, which the British call “swede”). The meat and vegetables should be chopped into small dice. For best results, do this by hand. Serve with a grainy mustard.
1. Heat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the beef, potatoes, rutabaga, onion, herbs, olive oil, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper; stir to combine and set aside.
2. Cut each ball of dough into 3 equal pieces (6 total), form each of those into a ball, and press them into flat disks; put them in the fridge to stay cold, taking them out one at a time as you roll them. Lightly flour a work surface and roll each ball into a circle about 8 inches across, following the method on page 255. Beat the eggs with 3 tablespoons water.
3. Spoon about 1 cup of the filling onto one side of each circle of dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Brush some of the egg mixture around the outer edge of each circle. Fold the empty side of the dough over the filling to create a half-moon; crimp the open edges together with a fork or your fingers. Use a fork to poke several air vents in the top of each pie.
4. Put the pies on one or two rimmed baking sheets and brush the remaining egg wash over the top. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until golden brown. Serve hot or warm.
BEEF AND STILTON HAND PIES Any blue cheese will work fine, but English Stilton is the classic: Crumble ¾ cup of the cheese into the filling mixture.
LAMB HAND PIES Substitute lamb shoulder or loin for the beef; use rosemary as the herb.
PORK AND GINGER HAND PIES Entirely nontraditional but tasty nonetheless: Substitute pork shoulder for the beef, 1½ cups chopped scallions for the onion, 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger for the herbs, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil for the olive oil, and soy sauce for the Worcestershire.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH HAND PIES Substitute 2 cups grated butternut squash for the beef; use sage or rosemary as the herb; add 1 minced garlic clove instead of the Worcestershire.