Jamaican
beef patties are turnovers with a savory meat filling. Traditionally, these patties
are found in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. The pastry has a yellow tint
to it thanks to the turmeric it has in it. These are great for dinner or can be
made in smaller versions for parties. How to Make Jamaican Beef Patties
To make these beef patties you must first know how to make the pastry the meat mixture is enclosed in, for this, you can use your favorite pie crust recipe with the addition of 1 teaspoon of turmeric. This will make the pie crust yellow. This is the traditional color for these patties. Just make enough crust to cover how many pies you need to make for your family or party. These can be made the typical size either of a turnover or smaller for appetizers.
You then need to sweat some onions and Scotch Bonnet peppers that have been finely chopped. Next, you brown 1 or 2 pounds of ground beef (can be more, depending how many patties are needed). Throw in some Jamaican spices such as cumin, cardamom, garlic, allspice and so on to make the meat mixture savory and Caribbean in theme. Some people add scallions, while others do not add them. Beef broth and breadcrumbs are typically added for more flavor and texture.
Variations
You could use ground chicken or ground turkey in place of the ground round, when using these meats use chicken broth in place of the beef broth.Also, you can change the amount of seasonings to suit your palette. If you like less or more of any of the ingredients in the filling, feel free to adjust. Just make sure to keep to the Caribbean feel with the taste to have authentic Jamaican beef patties.
Tips
To make sure your patties come out right make sure not to overwork the piecrust dough. This makes the crust tough instead of nice and flakey.
For the filling, use the freshest of ingredients with the spices as well as the ground beef. Ground chuck, round or sirloin are all better meat than just grabbing something in the store that says ground beef. The round and sirloin is leaner and may need some olive oil to brown them. Ground chuck has plenty of natural fat in it that no oil is typically needed. Line your baking dishes with parchment paper to help make cleanup a snap. Also, the patties will not stick to parchment paper.
Side Dishes
Jamaican cabbage salad is an excellent side dish to accent the flavors of the beef patties. With the carrots, cabbage, cucumber and celery you get an assortment of vegetables along with a sweet sour flavor thanks to the sugar and vinegar added to it. Peas and rice can also be served with the patties. This dish can contain many of the same spices as the patties, along with coconut milk. Another side dish that would go well with these patties is boiled green bananas. These are used similar to how Americans use potatoes. Green bananas have more starch and are not as sweet as the ripe bananas. Truly, a unique side dish.
Don't these Jamaican beef patties sound delicious? These take less than an hour to get ready to bake and these bake up in only 25 to 30 minutes. Now, suppers that take this little of time to prepare are convenient to make any day of the week. Why not make some today!

