☀️Jamaican Spicy “Beef” Patties☀️

This recipe has been requested by quite a few people, and though I haven’t 100% mastered the process myself (working out the kinks and tweaks... and building the courage to use my own seitan “beef”) my flavors for these are definitely a force to be reckoned with. With that being said, there will likely be a follow up “final” version of this recipe with the officially updated technique to allow for the easiest and most delicious patties.

For these patties, you will need:

Crust:

4 & 1/2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour

1 & 1/2 Tbsp of Jamaican Curry Powder

1/2 Cup of Vegetable Shortening

1 Tbsp of Turmeric

1 Tsp of Paprika

1/2 Tsp of Sugar

1/2 Tsp of Fine Sea Salt

7/8 to 1 Cup of Water

Filling:

1/2 Cup of Just Egg

1/4 Cup of Bread Crumbs (unseasoned)

1 Scotch Bonnet

1 Tsp of Allspice

1 Tsp of Curry Powder

1/2 Cup of Cilantro

1/2 Cup of Diced Green Pepper

1/2 Cup of Diced Yellow Pepper

1/4 Cup of Yellow Onion

1/2 Cup of Green Onion

1/2 Tsp of Dried Thyme

1/2 Tsp of Fine Sea Salt

1 Tbsp of Minced Garlic

5 Turns of Fresh Ground Black Pepper (LOL, I don’t measure this exactly. Just 5 turns.)

1 Bag of Gardein Beefless Crumbles (defrosted)

I like to get some of my herbs and spices caramelized a little bit on a low heat to add depth of flavor while I prepare my dough.

Add about 1/4 of the allspice for the filling, 1/2 the cilantro, 1/2 the green onion, 1/2 the yellow onion, 1/2 the salt, 1/2 the black pepper, 1/2 of the garlic, and 1/4 of the scotch bonnet (minced, include seeds if you want spicy patties... no seeds otherwise) into a non stick pan on a medium-low heat with a tiny bit of olive oil or whatever cooking oil you have on hand (about 1/2 tsp is fine).

Allow to warm up and start to become fragrant, stir around a few times, reduce heat by half and allow to slowly cook while you begin preparing your dough.

If you have a large food processor, lucky you because this dough is going to be a crap-ton easier to make without breaking your wrists (hehe). I used my smaller food processor and though it works well, it only allows for me to make enough dough for about two or three patties. I will provide steps for both handmade and processor made.

For the processor:

Add all dry ingredients to food processor, and pulse once or twice. Introduce the shortening, and then slowly add the water. Process your dough, resting every few pulses, until it becomes a nice ball. Chill the dough in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before rolling it out.

By hand:

Basically the same thought process as using a food processor, your hands will just be doing all of the work. Add the dry ingredients to a big mixing bowl, and use your hand to mix the ingredients. Begin to massage in the shortening, and once the flour mixture seems crumbly you can start adding the water little by little, kneading the dough well. Continue for about 8 minutes, until your dough is soft and sticky, but not sticking to your hands. Chill the dough in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before rolling it out.

Back to the filling!

Add your Beefless crumbles to the non stick pan that has your seasoning starter, and add 3 Tbsp of water. Bring the heat to medium-high and cover the pan to allow the meat to begin cooking through. Remain covered for 2 minutes.

You can now add the remaining filling ingredients. Don’t forget the rest of your scotch bonnet!

Cook for 4 minutes on medium-high. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan, cover, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

Remove the filling from the heat once cooked, and allow it to sit uncovered to cool down.

Preheat your oven to 375°

Take the dough out of the fridge and dust your counter surface with flour. Roll the ball around in the flour, and then push down on the dough to remove any air. Cut the dough into two pieces, and roll the dough out thinly. I use a pizza cutter and a cereal bowl to create my shapes in the dough. Once you have circles, add about 2 tbsp of filling to the center of the circles and flip the sides to seal together. You can use the cutter to round your edges out to have a more traditional patty shape, otherwise they will resemble more of empanadas. I am still searching for the correct way to shape these, but shaping them with my cutter by hand has been my best bet so far. Once shaped, press the edges down with a fork. Make sure to poke your patties on either side near the crimped edges to allow the steam to escape. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Bake for 25 minutes, remove from oven and lightly brush with melted plant butter... put back in oven for 5 more minutes.

Allow at least 10 minutes for the patties to cool before consumption!

Enjoy!