He learned it at his dad’s knee.Jerry McNamee knows what goes into a great
meat pastie – one of the linchpins of traditional Irish cooking."I had a lot of fun making these
with my dad," said McNamee, a Montana native who moved to Bowling Green 14 months ago. His father,
Bob McNamee, is a professional baker and taught Jerry how to create this oh-so-Irish recipe when Jerry
was about 14.In fact, it was the first food he ever learned to make."My Grandmother Helen was the
inspiration" for the pasties, he adds.McNamee’s parents were high school sweethearts in Anaconda,
Montana, a part of the state known for its copper mining."Pasties are synonymous with copper
mining. They’re miners’ food, easy to take to work."McNamee, who boasts 90 percent Irish descent,
said most Americans credit pasties to the Irish, although "some say to Cornish."The dish’s
origin relates to the fact that the Irish historically had to make do with very little."It was the
scraps from food" that went into the ingenious pies – making them a tasty way to mix frugal with
gourmet."Out in Montana every family kind of had their own family recipe for pasties. Our family
went with ground beef versus sirloin tips, chicken or venison. Any kind of meat that you had on hand,
and had an abundance of," said McNamee. "Lamb especially, if you want to go
traditional."McNamee enjoyed learning from an expert.His dad was a bakery manager for Buttrey’s,
"a supermarket chain out West, that was bought by Albertson’s about 15 years ago."That was in
an era when supermarkets still made all their own bread fresh.Dad was also known for the traditional
candies he made, especially at Christmas time."With this turn to cooler weather we’re having, this
is the day we’d start in on making divinity" fudge, McNamee recalls. "That and caramel
rolls."Once a baker, always a baker accurately describes his father. "To this day he still
makes the cinnamon rolls for after mass every Sunday."As a boy, McNamee recalls, "I got to
leave church after communion to help get the hot cinnamon rolls ready" for the parishioners who
came rolling into the church hall once the service was over.Dad also made a Tom and Jerry batter for the
alcoholic beverage by that name. "We used to have to make that for the neighborhood."The
devotion to homemade goodies is something McNamee has adopted."I have my own starter dough at my
house. I make bread; I cook a lot," he said. "My wife’s an excellent cook but she’ll say I’m
better, so why would she cook?"He and wife Susan have lived in four states in the last six years.
She’s now on the faculty of Bowling Green State University, which is what brought the couple to
Ohio."BG feels like home; we love it here," said McNamee,Prior to the latest move, the couple
lived in Texas for a short period. That magnified McNamee’s love for barbecuing, "especially
Southern food, anything with pork. I like smoking meats."He’s currently the teen programmer for the
city of Bowling Green. "We offer free programming for middle school kids at least once a
month" as a safe, fun way to "get them active."During the summer he also doubled as
"Zucchini Bob," serving as emcee of the Downtown Farmers’ Market’s zucchini races."I make
pasties about once a month, especially now that it’s time to start eating these more filling meals. My
wife loves ’em. She’d never tasted pasties until she got involved with our family. She’ll ask me to make
them" on a frequent basis.His pasties wowed the judges at last week’s farmers’ market, where they
won the final Farm Fresh Recipe Contest of the inaugural 2013 season.McNamee describes himself as a
"purist – kind of a snob and not too afraid to admit it," when it comes to the meat
pies.Cutesy or over-Americanized variations don’t impress him. "Especially putting French fries in
it; that makes me crazy."The version McNamee made for public consumption is very close to his
father’s, with a couple differences."Dad’s exact "formula" has to remain a secret.
"If I gave out those little bits of information, my dad would come out and kill me."His most
crucial preparation hint has to do with making sure the water is really cold before mixing the pastie
dough."It should have a thin layer of ice on top of it."McNamee ensures that by popping the
water into the freezer about a half hour before he needs it."And be gentle with it. People aren’t
gentle enough with their pie dough."If you’re worried about the calories and fat in the recipe,
since it calls for ground beef, McNamee says bison pasties are really tasty too, and you just need to
add an egg to bind the filling ingredients.Much of the fat comes from the shortening, which also gives
the crust its texture. You can make smaller portions and adjust the cooking time to compensate.

Baker Bob’s PastiesPie Dough31?2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted11?2 teaspoons salt1 cup
shortening1 cup cold water (almost frozen)In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening
until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Shape into a ball. Wrap
in plastic and refrigerate.Filling1 lb. ground beef5-6 small to medium red potatoes (do not peel), small
diced1 large white onion, small diced5-6 carrots peeled, small dicedSalt, Pepper, Worcestershire sauce
to taste, about 2 Tbsp of each.In a large bowl, combine meat, potatoes, onion, and chopped carrots.
Season with salt and pepper and Worcestershire.Divide dough into six pieces, and shape into balls. On a
lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 6 inch round. Place approximately a handful of filling on
one half of each. Roll over dough and tuck under. Brush on egg wash. (one egg beaten with some water
added) Bake for 45-60 minutes at 400 degrees.Nutritional analysis per pastie:Calories 969; Carbohydrate
91g; Protein 23; Fat 56g