Patí
Limón's fiery hand pie — flaky, turmeric-gold pastry folded around boldly spiced, Scotch-bonnet-hot ground beef. A cornerstone of Afro-Caribbean Costa Rican baking, descended from the Jamaican patty.
Ingredients
- 3 cupsflour
- 1 cupbutter or shortening (cold)
- 1/2 cupice water (approximately)
- 1 tspturmeric or achiote (for the golden crust)
- 1 lbground beef
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper (minced (to taste))
- 2 sprigsthyme (leaves only)
- 3 clovesgarlic (minced)
- 2 tbspbreadcrumbs
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Make the pastry: rub cold butter or shortening into flour with turmeric (for the golden color) and salt until crumbly, then add ice water just until it comes together. Chill at least 30 minutes.
30:00 - 2
Make the filling: brown the ground beef with onion, garlic, thyme, and plenty of minced Scotch bonnet — patí is meant to bite, so season boldly. Stir in breadcrumbs to bind the juices, then cool completely.
- 3
Roll the chilled dough thin and cut into rounds (or squares). Spoon filling onto one half, leaving a border.
- 4
Fold over and crimp the edges firmly with a fork to seal. Brush the tops with a little beaten egg or annatto oil for shine.
- 5
Bake at 375°F (190°C) until deep golden, about 25 minutes, or fry until crisp. Cool slightly before biting — the filling is molten and fierce.
25:00
Notes
Heat is the identity of a patí — adjust the Scotch bonnet to taste, but a real one fights back. Turmeric in the dough gives the classic yellow crust. Chill the dough and cool the filling so the pastry stays flaky. Great warm and very portable. Photo: Jason Lam, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Jamaican beef patty, patí's close cousin).
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