A Little Package.

A little pocket of goodness was enjoyed on Wednesday night. A labor of love. I set out to make a very popular Beef Patty from Jamaica, derived from the British influences of the meat pasty. It is equivalent to the Spanish empanada or the Italian calzone in it's shape and origin of stuffing with meat. Andy, Hannah and I enjoyed them while Elie was babysitting and Katy tried one bite and said she didn't like the crust... "it's too crunchy... and soft"... hmmm. Seems to be a contradictory statement for really saying, "not my thing, mom"... so leftover chicken it was for her.

I don't remember ever having a Beef Patty in Jamaica when we were there. Then again, we were at an all inclusive resort where food was very mainstream. Except when we ventured out of our compound... two young 20 somethings with light hair and skin, walking the streets of Ochos Rios during rush hour. Such kids, really. Since our honeymoon pictures are all prints, I don't have easy access to post a few. Albums packed away during basement remodel....  Maybe later in the summer when I find a little time to scan a few. I will make it a goal.. a month from now when we celebrate #22 anniversary.

Tonight we enjoyed our last band concert of the season for Elie, playing the trombone. She may learn the Trumpet this summer as all the trumpet players are quitting...I'll keep you posted... It was a wonderful concert, short and sweet:) The last song was a combined effort with the 7th and 8th grade bands. All on stage. Playing for the first time together. It was a 7 minute piece that was a mix of Disney music. It was awesome! The crowd stood up with a standing ovation in the end. And yes, tears of joy filled my eyes. So innocent, so cool. Making music. That was my Happy is evening. And Elie and Katy were happy with TCBY for dinner, followed up with a Little Caesar's Pizza Pie. I on the other hand noshed on the little Jamaican Patty's as shown here.

Jamaican Beef Patty
Pastry
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Tbl. curry powder
1/4 cup solid shortening
1/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup cold water

Stir the flour, curry powder and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the shortening and margarine until crumbly. Add the cold water to make a stiff dough. Lightly flour a wooden cutting board and roll out the dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 8-inch circles. Cover with wax paper or damp cloth until ready to use. You can place the dough in the refrigerator overnight. If you do refrigerate, remove the dough at least 15 minutes before using.

Meat Filling
2 Tbl. oil
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chopped Scotch Bonnet pepper
1/2 lb. lean ground beef (I used 1-lb)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup beef or chicken stock
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup water

In a heavy skillet, melt the oil and saute the onion and Scotch Bonnet pepper until they become limp. Add the ground beef, salt and pepper, curry powder and thyme and mix well. Brown the meat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the breadcrumbs and stock and combine all the ingredients well. Cover the skillet and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When all liquids have been absorbed, the filling is ready. It should be moist but not watery. Remove the skillet from the stove and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Uncover the dough circles and place 2 to 3 Tbls. of filling on half of each. Moisten the edges of the dough with water and fold the dough circle over the meat filling. Pinch the edges closed with a fork. Lightly brush the pastry with mixture of egg and water. Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes or until the pastry are golden brown.


My version: 
I cut my circles smaller, using the lid of my flour jar. I would guess 4 inches, 5 inches max. Large enough to hold 1 to 1-1/2 Tbls of filling. I was confused when it read 8 -inch circles.. at first glance I thought 8 1-inch but quickly realized that was too small.  So in the end, my batch were more like tapas or sliders Patty's.

The other thing missing from my batch was the Scotch Bonnet Pepper. WTF? Never heard of such a thing. Fast research on Wiki revealed this: Scotch Bonnet, also known as Boabs Bonnet, Scotty Bons, Bonney peppers, or Caribbean red peppers is a variety of chili pepper. Found mainly in the Caribbean islands, it is also in Guyana, the Maldives Islands and West Africa. I didn't want to add too much spice to my meal, knowing my spice phobic kids might appose. So I sprinkled a little cajun seasoning on the meat to give it a little nudge.