It's What's For Lunch

When I drove by Joe's Pasty Shop and saw this month's special, I knew I had to try one. And, um, it was De-Lish-Us! Wrapped up hot out of the oven in butcher's paper.

Buffalo Pasty from Joe's Pasties in Rhinelander, WI
Lean Ground buffalo (raised in WI), potatoes, carrots, corn & onions

"The origin of the pasty (pronounced pass-tee) can be traced back to Cornwall, England. Before leaving their homes to work in the tin mines, Cornish workers made a hot pasty. The miners placed this versatile food in their pockets, which provided both warmth and nourishment for the miner. The traditional pasty consisted of meat, potatoes, onions, seasoning (and in some cases turnips), which was wrapped in a crust and baked.

"Because of the threat of arsenic poisoning, the miners often ate the “body” of the pasty, while discarding the “crimp,” or outer edge of the pasty which they held with their dirty fingers. The miners believed, however, that the pasty crimp was not wasted but instead left to appease “knockers,” or ghosts within the tunnels of the mines.

"When the tin mining industry declined, Cornish miners immigrated to other parts of the world to continue mining. One of these areas was the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and parts of Wisconsin. It was here that Cornish miners worked in the copper and iron ore mines."