I love meat pies and, in particular, the humble pasty.
When I was a child in Wisconsin, the old man would occasionally bring home Cornish-style pasties from a local joint (whose name I have long since forgotten) that was renowned for them. The place was run by a British ex-pat and the pasties were homemade and top notch. My brother and I always considered them a real treat. We added our own American touch by drowning them in Heinz ketchup, but they were delicious nevertheless. Eventually the place went out of business, and after I moved away from home in 1979, it was a long time before I had another one.
In 2002, I began working for a company that would send me to the UK on business a couple of times a year. They had satellite offices in London and Evesham (Midlands). I particularly liked the Evesham office. Not only were they more lax in dress and attitude, but there was a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant right across from the office called "
West Cornwall Pasty Company". More of a takeout place than a restaurant, as there was no place to sit. So I would buy my pasty, walk down the street, eat it in the park close to the 1300 year old Evesham Abbey ruins. Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.
This Pasty shop (which I found out later to be a chain) had quite a variety of pies. In additional to the traditional blend of steak, swede, and onion, there was Steak & Stilton, Lamb & Mint, Cheese & Onion, and a Balti curry pie. There are some in Britain who insist that
Greggs makes good pies, but I beg to differ. They put carrots and peas (and no swedes) in theirs. Nope, I'll take West Cornwall's.
A couple of years ago, I took a trip to Yorkshire and was thrilled to find a West Cornwall Pasty shop in the York village square. It brought back all of those great memories again.
Delicious stuff, those pasties. Oddly, I have yet to try my hand at making them. I might just have to give it a go. Anyone have a recipe?