Method

• 1.
  For the pastry, combine the flour and 1 tsp salt flakes in a large mixing bowl. Add the lard and rub in with your hands until well combined. Add the butter and rub in until it has broken up but there are still pea-sized lumps of butter visible. Pour in 360ml iced water and, using your hands, combine to form a soft dough (leave big streaks of butter running through the dough). Enclose the pastry in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or preferably overnight.
• 2.
  For the filling, combine the vegetables and beef in a large bowl (don’t season the filling until ready to assemble the pasties to avoid the salt drawing water out; you want the moisture to be released during cooking, to create the gravy inside the pasty).

• 3.
  Preheat the oven to 190°C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
• 4.
  Generously flour your work surface (this allows the pastry to relax as you roll it). Remove pastry from fridge, divide it into 8 equal pieces, then roll each piece into circles about 4mm thick
• 5.
  Season the filling with 3 tsp salt flakes and the white pepper, and stir to combine. Divide the filling between top halves of pastry rounds, leaving a 2cm border from the top edge of each round.
• 6.
  Brush the pastry border with egg wash, then fold the bottom half of the pastry round over the filling so the pastry edges meet. Crimp edges together with your thumb and forefinger to form a seam along the side of the pasty and brush with egg wash.
• 7.
  Divide pasties between prepared trays, leaving 5cm between each pasty so they bake evenly. Cut a small slit in the top of each pasty to allow steam to escape while baking. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven to 160°C and bake for a further 50 minutes or until pasties are deep golden brown. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.