Pastes de Real del Monte

Step 1: Mix 1 ⅓ lb plain flour and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Rub in 9 oz cold unsalted butter with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs with a few pea-size lumps left.

Step 2: Add ¾ cup iced water a little at a time, mixing with a knife, until the dough just comes together. Knead it 3–4 times, flatten into a disc, wrap and chill in the fridge.

Step 3: In a bowl, mix 1 ⅓ lb beef skirt or chuck steak, 1 ⅛ lb floury potatoes, 2 onions, 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1 serrano chilli if using, 2 tsp salt and 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper. Keep it in the fridge until you fill the pastes. Don't cook or wet the filling: watery filling is the most common reason pastes go soggy underneath and split.

Step 4: Heat the oven to 400°F (fan 350°F) and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Step 5: Divide the pastry into 8 pieces and roll each on a floured surface into a 20 cm round, about 3 mm thick.

Step 6: Pile an eighth of the filling onto one half of each round, leaving a 2 cm border, and dot with 1 oz butter. Brush the edge with water, fold the pastry over and press firmly to seal.

Step 7: Crimp the sealed edge by folding it over itself in small twists, then cut a small steam hole in the top. Brush with 1 egg.

Step 8: Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry starts to colour, then turn the oven down to 350°F (fan 300°F) and bake until deep golden and a skewer slides easily through the potato and beef; the filling should be steaming hot, at least 160°F in the middle.

Step 9: Rest for 10 minutes on the tray, then serve warm with ¾ cup hot red or green salsa. For the mole version, use 600 g of diced raw chicken thigh mixed with 200 ml of thick mole paste diluted with stock in place of the beef, and bake until the filling reaches 165°F.