I had never thought about making a traditional pork pie. I live in the north of England where we have some of the best pork pie makers going. After watching the talented and renowned butcher David Lishman making pies, I decided to give it a go. I have adapted his recipe and transformed it a bit. The end result is a delicious pork pie that’s easy to make.
Ingredients
For the Hot Water Pastry
- 200 milliliters water
- 75 grams unsalted butter
- 75 grams lard
- 450 grams all-purpose flour, sifted, more for the work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
For the Pie Filling
- 400 grams ground pork shoulder
- 100 grams belly pork, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
For the Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 pinch salt
For the Jelly
- 3 gelatin leaves
- 1 cup chicken stock, warmed
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground white pepper, to taste
Methods
Make the Hot Water Pastry
-
Gather the ingredients.
-
Put the water, butter, and lard into a saucepan and gently heat until melted. Bring to a low boil.
-
Put the flour, salt, and egg in a large heatproof bowl. Blend together with a knife.
-
Add the hot butter-lard-water mixture and combine thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
-
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth and shiny.
-
Take your small jam jars, invert them, and brush the outside with a light and bottom with a thin layer of vegetable oil.
-
Take 2/3 of the pastry and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness (keep the remaining 1/3 of pastry wrapped in plastic).
-
Cut a 6-inch circle and lay it centered over the jam jar bottom and gently ease up the side of the jar. Be careful not to stretch the pastry too thin. Your pastry should be even all over and without any holes or tears. If the pastry does tear, simply remold using your fingers. Hot water pastry is very forgiving.
-
Cover the pastry with a strip of parchment paper cut to the depth of the pastry lining the jar. Tie the parchment kitchen twine to secure. Trim the top edge to create a neat edge. Place into the refrigerator to chill and firm up.
Create the Pork Pie Filling
-
Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325 F/160 C/Gas 3.
-
Place both meats in a bowl and season with the salt, pepper, mace, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly.
-
Carefully remove the pastry molds from the jam jars (the dough will be very stiff).
-
Pack the meat almost, but not completely, to the top of the pastry molds.
-
Cut lids to fit your pie from the remaining pastry roll.
-
Put the lid on top and crimp to create a tight seal.
-
Using a skewer or chopstick, pierce the center of the lid to create a tiny air hole.
-
Create your egg wash by beating together the egg, water, and the pinch of salt. Brush liberally, all over, with the egg wash.
-
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the temperature in the center is 176 F.
-
Remove from the oven and egg wash again.
Make the Jelly
-
Gather the ingredients.
-
Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water for 15 minutes.
-
Squeeze the leaves and add to warmed chicken stock.
-
Leave to cool, then season with a little salt and white pepper.
-
Pour the jelly into the center of the pie through the tiny air hole (use a small funnel for accuracy).
-
Leave in a cool place to set.
Tips
- For molding the pastry, you can use 8-ounce, wide-mouth mason jars, or 12-ounce mason jars.
- If the pastry is difficult to remove from the jelly jar, add some hot water to the jar to warm it slightly.
- If the pastry softens too much when removing from the jars and crimping, return them to the refrigerator to chill for another 10 minutes.
Leave a Reply