Why It Works
- The dough is loaded with butter and colored with curry to ensure it bakes up flaky and vibrantly hued.
- The deeply-flavorful ground beef filling is stippled with onion, garlic, and Scotch bonnet peppers and loaded with curry, allspice, and thyme.
It's been a weird summer in the Midwest. Morning sunshine has regularly given way to cool, rainy afternoons. In other words, it doesn't feel like the season ever got off the ground. Since cool weather didn't take a vacation, frankly neither did I. That got me thinking about warmer climes, ones with turquoise water lapping arcs of white sand.
Enter these flaky Jamaican meat patties, pastries that are everywhere on the island, from ramshackle roadside stands to neighborhood restaurants and, yes, resorts. You'll find them when traveling to other Caribbean islands, too, and that's a godsend because they'resogood.
I figured, why not make them at home? I opted for the traditional filling of seasoned ground beef, which just so happens to be my personal favorite. Of course, they're commonly stuffed with everything from shrimp to ackee and chicken, so you can let your imagination run wild. While they make a great snack in smaller form, it's common to eat them as a meal. That's what I intended here.
Typically, the yellow-hued, suet crust is made with fat from curried goat. That wasn't exactly feasible in my home kitchen, though. So I adaptedthis dough recipebecause I favor its easy approach and ochre tone. Curry powder lends that color, while two sticks of butter (yup,twosticks) take the place of lard.
Make the dough in advance because it needs to chill for at least an hour. When cutting it out, a circular side plate works quite well in terms of size. Because the dough is a bit sticky, you'll need a fair amount of additional flour for your work surface and rolling pin.
As for the filling, it's not difficult to make. The key is to ensure it packs a flavorful punch. So, in addition to onion, garlic, and Scotch bonnet peppers, I've added a slew of aromatic herbs and spices, which simmer with the meat in a bit of broth. Meanwhile, Worcestershire and Pickapeppa sauces lend nuance. If you can't find Pickapeppa, standard steak sauce will do. I'm going to be honest, though—it isn't as good. Once the meat has absorbed most of the liquid and the mixture is almost dry, I add breadcrumbs for body.
Although it's tempting to go for broke, don't overstuff the dough. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling onto half of the circle, leaving a 1/2-inch rim around the edge. That way, you have room to seal them properly. Brush the fringe of each circle with an egg wash, fold the dough over to create a half-moon shape, and secure the filling by sealing the edges with the tines of a fork. After a quick brush with egg wash, they bake for about 30 minutes and come out smelling (and tasting) like bliss. Best of all, no plane ticket to the island is required (hrm, or maybe that's a bad thing...I wouldn't mind a trip to Jamaica right about now).
August 2014
This recipe was cross-tested in 2023 and updated with more accurate measurements to guarantee best results.
Recipe Details
Curried Jamaican Beef Patties Recipe
Prep45 mins
Cook35 mins
Active30 mins
Total3 hrs 20 mins
Serves6 servings
Ingredients
For the Dough:
3 cups (13.75 ounces; 390g) all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder, preferably Jamaican
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
8 ounces (226g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup(170ml) cold water
1 tablespoon(15ml) distilled white vinegar
1 large egg, lightly whisked
For the Filling:
1 pound (454g) ground beef
1 large yellow onion (8 ounces; 227g) finely chopped
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups (300ml) low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 tablespoons(23ml) Pickapeppasauce or steak sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons (23ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder, preferably Jamaican
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; for table salt, use half as much by volume
2 fresh bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (1 ounce; 29g)
Egg wash made from 1 large egg beaten with 1/4 cup (60ml) water
Directions
For the Dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, curry powder, turmeric, and butter until butter is broken into pea-size pieces, about 10 pulses.
In a small bowl, whisk together water, vinegar, and egg. Add the mixture to food processor and pulse until dough is combined (will still look loose but should hold together when you ball up a bit in your hand). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a 2-inch-thick disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
For the Filling: In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, brown ground beef, breaking meat into little bits and stirring occasionally. When beef is nearly cooked through, about 6 minutes, reduce heat to medium and add onion, Scotch bonnet pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add broth, Pickapeppa sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, cayenne, curry, allspice, salt, bay leaves, and thyme to beef mixture in sauté pan, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Season with additional salt to taste, if needed. Add breadcrumbs and stir thoroughly.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into 6-inch circles and place 2 heaping tablespoons of meat filling onto half of each round of dough. Brush edges of dough with egg wash. Fold dough over filling to make a half-moon shape. Press edge with tines of a fork to seal. Brush tops lightly with remaining egg wash.
Set patties on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until dough is golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
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Special Equipment
Food processor, whisk, rolling pin, 6-inch round cookie cutter, rimmed baking sheet
Notes
If you're planning on serving these to a crowd, it's possible to par-bake them 3/4 of the way. Just remove them from the oven after about 25 minutes. Prior to serving, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and finish cooking them for another 15 or so minutes, until the crust is cooked through and the filling is warm.
