Cornish pasty, Mexican-adopted: a half-moon pastry of wheat-flour dough filled with a savory stew of beef (or chicken), potatoes, carrots, peas, and sometimes rice or egg. Brought to Hidalgo's Mineral de la Reforma mines by Cornish miners in the 19th century, pastes are now the signature dish of Pachuca and the Hidalgo mining region — a Mexican-Cornish hybrid adopted as a regional specialty.
Los pastes are a Mexican adoption of the Cornish pasty, brought to Mexico by Cornish miners who arrived in the 1820s-1840s to work the silver mines of Mineral del Monte and Real del Monte in Hidalgo state. The Cornish brought their traditional pasty — a half-moon pastry filled with meat and vegetables. Over generations, the filling adapted to Mexican ingredients (spicier, with local chiles) while the pastry and shape remained Cornish. Pastes became the iconic working-class food of Hidalgo's mining region, eaten as a complete portable meal, and are now a regional specialty sold at every panadería and street stall.
A paste de Hidalgo presents a golden-brown, half-moon pastry, the crust flaky and slightly firm, sliced open to reveal a steaming filling of savory beef stew with diced potatoes, carrots, and peas. The filling is moist and well-seasoned (often with a hint of Mexican spice); the pastry is hearty and satisfying. Eaten by hand, often as a complete meal, with a side of salsa for those who want extra heat.
Pastes' character depends on the pastry and the steam-baked filling. The wheat-flour dough (originally with beef suet, now often butter or shortening) is rolled, filled, and folded into a half-moon; the edges are crimped firmly (originally to give miners a handle to hold with dirty hands, which would be discarded). During baking, the filling's moisture turns to steam; the sealed pastry traps it, creating a self-contained steaming environment that cooks the meat and vegetables gently. The crust browns (Maillard) while the interior stays moist. The combination of portable crust and complete stew-like filling makes it a complete meal.
Variations
Beef is most common; chicken and potato-only versions exist; some add rice, hard-boiled egg, or chiles; dessert versions with fruit exist.
On the Palate
Where Pastes de Hidalgo sits in the Mexican flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8
How it's made
6 steps · 1 hour 30 min active + 30 min waiting
- 110 min
Make the dough: combine wheat flour, butter (or lard), salt, and a little water; knead smooth; rest 30 minutes.
- 230 min
Cook the filling: brown diced beef with onion, garlic, and a little chili powder; add diced potatoes, carrots, peas, and a little water; simmer until tender; season with salt, cumin, and oregano.
Watch outCook the filling until tender but not dry, keeping a little moisture — that trapped steam is what finishes cooking it inside the sealed pastry.
- 310 min
Roll the dough thin; cut into 6-inch circles.
- 410 min
Place a generous spoonful of filling on one half of each circle; fold over; crimp the edges firmly with a fork.
- 51 min
Cut a small slit in the top to vent; brush with beaten egg.
Watch outCut a small vent slit in the top before baking — sealed shut, the steam builds and bursts the pastry open.
- 635 min
Bake at 200°C for 30-35 minutes until golden; serve warm.
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