Haitian

Haitian Beef Pâté

Flaky, buttery pastry packed with epis-seasoned ground beef, peppers, thyme, and scotch bonnet, baked until golden and brushed with garlic parsley butter.

Prep:45 min
Cook:35 min
Total:1 hr 20 min
Serves:8-10
Difficulty:medium
Haitian Beef Pâté

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup ice water
  • 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

Beef Filling

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons epis
  • 1.5 tablespoons vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup crushed or pureed tomato
  • 1 scotch bonnet or habanero, minced (adjust heat)
  • A few sprigs fresh thyme
  • Salt, pepper, adobo, paprika, and chicken bouillon, to taste

Egg Wash

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon water

Garlic Butter

  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1

    Start by making the pastry. Add the flour, salt, and water to a stand mixer and mix until the dough begins to come together. Add in the cold butter, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 3–5 minutes, just until the butter becomes a little more incorporated.

  2. 2

    The dough will still look pretty ragged at this point, with visible pieces and streaks of butter throughout — that's exactly what you want. Those pockets of butter are what create all those beautiful flaky layers once the pâtés bake.

  3. 3

    Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours, before rolling it out.

  4. 4

    While the dough chills, prep the red and green peppers, onion, garlic, and shallot. Sauté the aromatics until softened and fragrant.

  5. 5

    Add the ground beef and cook until browned, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.

  6. 6

    Add the epis, vinegar, tomato paste, and tomato purée and mix everything together. Season with paprika, adobo, and chicken bouillon.

  7. 7

    Add the thyme and scotch bonnet, then let the filling simmer for about 10–15 minutes so all the flavors come together. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

  8. 8

    Roll out the chilled dough, folding and rolling it a few times before cutting it into rectangles.

  9. 9

    Add a generous spoonful of the beef filling to each piece of dough. Brush the edges with egg wash, fold to close, and use a fork to press and seal the edges.

  10. 10

    Transfer the pâtés to a lined baking sheet and brush the tops with egg wash. Bake at 400°F (200°C) until puffed, flaky, and golden brown, about 35 minutes.

  11. 11

    While they bake, make a quick garlic parsley butter by combining the melted butter with fresh garlic and parsley.

  12. 12

    Brush the warm pâtés with the garlic parsley butter right out of the oven and serve.

Tips

Keep the butter cold and the water ice cold — that's what gives you the flaky layers.

The folding and rolling right before you cut is what builds the layers, so don't skip it.

Let the filling cool before you assemble. Hot filling steams the dough and softens the crust.

The filling should be thick, not saucy — extra liquid leaks out and splits the seams while baking.

Seal the edges well with the fork. A good seal is the difference between a pâté and a puddle.