Wild boar mince pasties are hand-held shortcrust pastries filled with seasoned ground wild boar, diced potato, grated carrot, and aromatics — baked until golden in about an hour. Wild boar has a deeper, slightly gamey flavour compared to pork, and it works well here because the root vegetables and smoked paprika keep the filling grounded rather than overwhelming. Make these when you want a proper portable meal that holds together in your hand and reheats well the next day.
The short version of why this works
Two things matter most. First, let the filling cool completely before it goes into the pastry. Hot filling steams the raw dough from the inside and you end up with a soggy bottom — no amount of egg wash fixes that. Spread it on a plate or tray and give it 20 minutes on the counter. Second, keep the butter genuinely cold when you make the dough. Cold butter stays in small pieces as you rub it in, and those pieces create steam pockets during baking that produce a flaky, short texture. If the butter starts to feel greasy or soft while you work, put the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes before continuing. Everything else in this recipe is forgiving; these two steps are not.
What can go wrong
- Filling is watery inside the pasty: Wild boar mince can release liquid as it cooks. If there is visible moisture pooling in the skillet after browning, tilt the pan and spoon it off before adding the vegetables. Excess liquid turns to steam in the oven and makes the pastry wet.
- Pastry tears when folding: If the dough cracks at the fold, it is too cold and stiff. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes after rolling before you try to fold it over the filling. Forcing it cold causes splits along the crimp.
- Filling spills out during baking: Overfilling is the usual cause. Keep the filling to one half of the round with a clear 1-inch border. Press the crimped edge firmly — a fork works more reliably than a finger crimp if you are new to this.
- Undercooked potato inside: Dice the potato small — no larger than 1 cm cubes. Larger pieces will not soften fully in the 5 minutes of skillet time, and the oven heat alone will not finish them through the pastry. Grating the carrot rather than dicing it helps it cook evenly in the same window.
- Pale, soft pastry on the bottom: Bake on a preheated heavy baking sheet or a dark metal tray. A cold light-coloured tray insulates the base and you lose the colour and crispness on the underside.
Leftovers and meal prep
Baked pasties keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat them in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 12–15 minutes — skip the microwave, which turns the pastry soft and chewy. For freezing, cool completely, wrap each pasty individually in foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen at 180°C for 25–30 minutes, checking that the centre is piping hot all the way through. You can also freeze the filling separately for up to 3 months and make fresh pastry on the day — that gives you the best texture if you are planning ahead. The uncooked assembled pasties can be refrigerated overnight on a lined tray and baked the next day; brush with egg wash just before they go in the oven, not the night before.
Wild Boar Mince Pasties
Ingredients
Mince Filling
- 500 grams wild boar mince - preferably organic, from a trusted source
- 1 cup sweet onions - finely chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 teaspoon thyme - leaves, fresh
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground black pepper - freshly ground
1 teaspoon salt - to taste
1 cup Russet potatoes - peeled and diced small
½ cup carrots - peeled and grated
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Pastry
2 cups all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - plus more for dusting- ½ teaspoon salt
140 grams butter - unsalted, cold and cubed- ¼ cup ice water - more as needed
Egg Wash
1 large egg - beaten
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the filling. In a large skillet over medium heat, add wild boar mince. Cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add the sweet onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, and black pepper, cooking until fragrant.
- Mix in the diced potatoes and grated carrots, cooking for 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and season with salt to taste. Set aside to cool.
- For the pastry, combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the cubed cold butter and rub between your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Slowly incorporate the ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing until dough just holds together. Form into a disk, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
- Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into four 7-inch rounds.
- Place a generous amount of filling on one half of each pastry round. Brush the edges with water, fold to enclose filling, and crimp edges to seal.
- Transfer the pasties to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with beaten egg for a golden finish.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until pastries are a rich golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I substitute regular pork mince if I can’t find wild boar?
Yes, pork mince works as a direct swap and the recipe stays the same — just expect a milder, less gamey result. If you want to get closer to the wild boar flavour, use a coarser-ground pork shoulder mince rather than a fine lean mince, and make sure it reaches 160°F (71°C) internal temperature.
Do I need to pre-cook the filling, or can I put it in raw?
Pre-cooking is essential here, not optional. Raw wild boar mince needs to reach 160°F (71°C) to be safe, and the oven time alone — 25 minutes at 200°C — is not long enough to guarantee that through a thick pastry casing. Cooking the filling first also lets you drain off excess fat and liquid, which protects the pastry.
My dough keeps shrinking when I roll it out — what am I doing wrong?
The dough needs more resting time in the fridge. Gluten tightens when you work the dough, and if you roll it immediately after mixing it will spring back. The 30-minute chill in the recipe is a minimum; 45–60 minutes is better, especially in a warm kitchen.
If you liked this one
- Wild Venison Mushroom Pies
- Savory Pork Apple Pasties
- Rustic Game Sausage Pie
- Savory Beef Carrot Turnovers
