Meat Pasties

Translation of a 16th century Italian Recipe.

From Christoforo di Messisbugo, Banchetti composizioni di vivande e apparecchio generale (Lucio Spineda, Venice, 1610)

p50r A fare pastatelle di carne per piatti dieci. (To make meat pasties for ten platings.)

Take four pounds of pork meat, or lean veal, and make it boil until it is well cooked, then take one pound of good fat pork belly, or veal,  and make it boil until it is well cooked, and if it is not possible to have pork belly, add in to it half a pound of beef fat, and beat it very small with a knife, then take two pounds of grated hard cheese, and ten eggs, and one pound of sugar, and one pound of raisins,  and half an ounce of cinnamon, and half an ounce of pepper, mix all these things [together], like if you were making the beating of a torte. Then have your royal pastry¹, and make your leaves, and cut it into squares, and then fill them with the mixture, and make your pasties with your wheel, like it is said with the other above, then fry it with fat, or else with butter very slowly, so that it does not crack, or else cook it in a tart pan, or with fire, or under a lid, dandling it with butter under, and over, and when it will be cooked, and for serving give it sugar over.

1 I think that the term "pasta reale" probably indicates an edible pastry made with butter and eggs.