Jamaican Beef Patties

Ingredients

• 375g plain flour
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 115g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 115g cold vegetable shortening, cubed
• 120ml ice-cold water
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 500g beef mince, 15 percent fat
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp mild curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt, for the filling
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 60g fresh breadcrumbs
• 250ml beef stock
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water, for glazing

Before you cook

• Cube the butter and shortening and return them to the fridge until you need them.
• Mix the ice-cold water with the vinegar and keep it in the freezer for ten minutes.
• Dice the onion, slice the spring onions, mince the garlic and finely chop the Scotch bonnet.
• Pick the thyme leaves from their stalks.

Steps

1. Whisk the flour, turmeric, sugar and one teaspoon of salt together in a large bowl.
2. Add the cold butter and shortening and toss the cubes in the flour to coat them.
3. Cut the fat into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the largest pieces are the size of small peas.
4. Stop while visible pieces of fat remain, because those pieces are what make the pastry flake.
5. Pour in the vinegared iced water and bring the dough together with a knife, then a few quick presses of your hand.
6. Shape the dough into a flat rectangle, wrap it, and chill for one hour.
7. Set a frying pan over medium-high heat with one tablespoon of oil.
8. Add the beef mince and break it up, cooking for eight minutes until the water has driven off and the meat is browning.
9. Stir in the onion, spring onions, garlic and Scotch bonnet and cook for five minutes.
10. Add the thyme, allspice, curry powder, black pepper and one teaspoon of salt, and cook for two minutes until fragrant.
11. Scatter in the breadcrumbs and stir until they disappear into the meat.
12. Pour in the beef stock and simmer for twelve minutes, until the mixture is thick, moist and holds its shape on a spoon.
13. Spread the filling on a tray and cool it completely in the fridge, because warm filling will melt the pastry.
14. Heat the oven to 190C fan and line two baking trays with baking paper.
15. Roll the chilled dough out on a floured surface to about three millimetres thick.
16. Cut out eight discs of about sixteen centimetres, re-rolling the offcuts once.
17. Spoon a generous two tablespoons of cold filling onto one half of a disc, leaving a two-centimetre border.
18. Brush the border with a little water and fold the pastry over into a half-moon.
19. Press the edge firmly with your fingers, then crimp it all the way round with the tines of a fork.
20. Repeat with the remaining discs and place the patties on the lined trays.
21. Chill the assembled patties for fifteen minutes so the pastry firms up again.
22. Brush the tops with the egg wash and cut a small steam vent in each.
23. Bake for thirty minutes, until the pastry is deep gold and visibly puffed.
24. Rest the patties on the tray for five minutes, then eat warm, ideally tucked inside soft coco bread.