Pasties with Beef Gravy

By KitchenGnome

Ingredients

• 1 large rutabaga and 1 small rutabaga
• 2 large carrots
• 2 medium onions
• 8 medium potatoes, preferably a waxy variety like Yukon golds or reds
• 4 pounds lean ground beef
• salt and pepper to taste
• enough sturdy pie dough for eight double crust pies (or eight boxes prepared refrigerated pie crusts) I use a double or triple batch of this pie crust.
• 4 tablespoons butter or beef fat drippings
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons browning sauce
• 2 cups beef stock
• a pinch of thyme and granulated onion
• salt and pepper to taste

Details

Servings 16
Adapted from foodiewithfamily.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Slice a sliver off one end of the rutabaga so that it stands sturdily on your cutting board. Then use your biggest, sharpest knife to lob it in half. If it’s freaking you out too much to try to hold a slippery, wax covered, round and really hard vegetable while trying to cut it, feel free to whack it in half with a hatchet or an axe. Just don’t do it on your kitchen counter!
Once you have the brute opened, lay it on the flat side and dismantle it further so your original sphere is in quarters. Take another little bit off the bottom so you can stand the quarters up on their ends and use another sharp knife to remove the peel from the sides.
Cut the rutabaga into ¼? slices and stack them like a deck of cards. Slice them into ¼? strips that will then be cut into ¼? cubes.
Peel and dice the carrots, onions, and potatoes in the same way. Combine all diced vegetables in a gigantic mixing bowl. Break the lean beef over the top, add salt and pepper, and use your hands to mix thoroughly.
Roll out a piece of pie crust to a diameter between 8? and 10?. Lay on a pie plate with the crust hanging over the lip of the plate by about ¼?. Use your hands or a large spoon to transfer as much filling onto the crust as you can, mounding and pressing down lightly with your hands, to fill the half of the crust that is hanging over the plate.
Now fold the empty part of the pie crust over the filling, pinch the seams together, transfer to your countertop and crimp the edges with a fork.
Transfer to a parchment lined pan and slice a couple of small vents into the top of each pasty.
Slide those pans into the oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Since pasties don’t traditionally get an egg glaze, they won’t be a shiny brown when done, but a deep crispy looking golden brown.
Serve immediately with beef gravy (see below) or cool completely, wrap with foil and freeze for later use. To Reheat from Frozen:
Place foil wrapped pasty in a preheated 350°F oven on a rimmed baking sheet for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, open the foil so the top crust of the pasty is exposed and heat for an additional 10 minutes, or until hot all the way through. To Make the Gravy:
Melt the butter or pan drippings in a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking often until bubbly and fragrant smelling, at least 2 minutes. Whisk in the cold beef stock, thyme and granulated onion and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Taste the gravy, adjust the seasonings and serve hot.