This recipe came from my Grandmother Hocking. She is originally from the Cornwall area of the British Isles. Grandfather was a coal miner then and came to the upper peninsula of Michigan to mine copper.
To earn her passage to the United States my Grandmother worked as an indentured servant in America and it fell to her to cook for the miners. It was necessary to make something that was not too messy to carry down into the mine to eat. Also they needed something that did not require knives and forks to eat. Grandmother would make them pasties. Eventually my mother learned to make them and then I learned from her. What follows is that recipe and when completed some very delightful eating designed by necessity.
To begin, create a circle of pie dough, as you would for any pie. Yes, you can use the pre-rolled refrigerated kind with good success! Cut some beef in 1/2-inch cubes. I use sirloin, but round steak works as I imagine any good cut of meat would. Cube some raw potatoes the same and keep them under water till ready to use. This will one keep them from turning brown on you and two provide some moisture for the pastie as it cooks. Last, dice some onion similar to what you might use on a hot dog.
Lay the dough out on a flat surface. Waxed paper works well and provides a means to lift and carry the pastie to the cooking surface. Spread a layer 1 deep of beef cubes on 1/2 of the dough. Keep it 1/2 inch from the center and one inch from the edge of the dough. Spread over that a layer of the cubed potatoes and on top of that sprinkle in some diced onion to taste. Add a small shake of salt and pepper over everything. Cut three pats of butter about 1/8 inch thick and place them evenly across the top. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon of worcestershire sauce over the top of it all. Fold the empty half of the pie dough over the pile you have made and crimp the edge as you would a pie shell. You should have a half moon shape now. Place several on a lightly buttered cookie sheet and pierce the top with a fork 5-10 times. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 450 for 15-20 minutes then turn down the heat to 350 for the rest of an hour. Serve with catsup. These will refrigerate and are wonderful cold as a snack.