These little pasties really pack a punch and are absolutely divine. They should be spicy but you can control this by just changing the chilli you use. Ordinarily scotch bonnets would be used but you can use a red Thai chilli for less heat and for a more mild flavour get the fattish green chilli. Another top tip is with your chillies, always cut off a little and taste it before you add it to see how spicy you find it, then add accordingly. Many a time a harmless looking fat red chilli has packed a powerful spicy kick I hadn't seen coming.

Ingredients
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 chilli (see above)
500g minced beef - or, if you really fancy it, you can use goat
1 tbsp curry powder (I like to use mild in this as the chilli has the heat and I just want the flavour but you can use whatever you prefer)
1 tbsp tomato purée
120ml beef stock
1 tbsp vinegar
Oil
Salt
Sugar
1 tbsp milk 

Jerk seasoning
½ tsp allspice
⅛ tsp white pepper
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp cinnamon ground
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp dried parsley
2 tsp soft brown sugar
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp salt 

Pastry ingredients
225g flour (plus a little for rolling)
110g butter
½ tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp vinegar
4-6 tbsp cold water

Method
Start with your filling.  Over a medium heat, put 1 tbsp of oil into the pan and cook the onions for 3-5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add the chilli and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until everything is soft but not browned. Remove the onion mix from the pan and put to one side.

While this is cooking, mix your jerk seasoning.

To the now empty pan, add your mince and cook until all liquid has evaporated, this will take at least 5 minutes but possibly as much as 10. Once all of the liquid has evaporated, add a small amount of oil to the pan and mix the onion mixture through the mince just to reheat for a couple of minutes.  Add the curry powder and the jerk seasoning and stir through, cook for a minute or so just so that the raw spice taste is cooked out.

Add your tomato puree and mix through.  Add the beef stock and vinegar and stir through.  Let this bubble until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Now test to see how it tastes, at this point you may need to adjust the seasoning adding a little salt and sugar to get it to taste perfectly balanced.  If you are happy, stick with it as it is, the stock that you use will probably determine whether anything actually needs adding at this point.  Once you are happy, put to one side to cool.

Turn now to your pastry which is super easy so don't be scared.  Put the flour and butter into a large bowl and rub together to form a breadcrumb looking mix.  Add the salt sugar and turmeric and with a fork just mix through.  Now add 4 tbsps of water and the vinegar and with a blunt knife try to form into a dough, you need to be careful adding the water but do need enough to keep it together.  I have found I have used 6 tbsps of water when making but know that the type of flour and humidity does play a role so treat carefully.  With your hands squish the dough and push against the side of the bowl until it comes together.  Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for half an hour.

Preheat your oven to 180c.  Take a baking tray and either line with baking paper or a silpat liner.

Take your dough and cut into 8 equal sized pieces.  Lightly dust your work surface and your rolling pin in flour.  Form each piece into a ball and with a rolling pin, roll out until thinnish (I aim for roughly ½ cm as the pastry albeit nice is just the vessel to hold the filling). Before filling, pick up your pastry and just do a quarter turn, this just ensures it is not stuck to the work surface.

To fill, take the filling and put over only half of the pastry and leave a 1cm gap around the edge for joining.  Take your milk and with your finger, just put a little milk over the bottom edge.  Pull the top of the pastry over the filling and join the edges together.  Take a fork and crimp the edges together.  Put on your baking tray.  Repeat with all 8 and then cook in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden.

The smell is incredible as they cook, try not to do as I did and burn your mouth because you are so eager to tuck in.