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3.67 from 3 votes

British Pork Pies

Your classic British cold pork lunch pie: seasoned pork and aspic in a firm and thoroughly tasty hot water crust pastry. It's a process befitting a Tudor kitchen, but making these Melton Mowbray-style pork pies is way easier — and more fun! — than you might expect.
Prep Time3 hours
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time4 hours
Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Party food, Picnic, Snack
Cuisine: british
Keyword: Baking
Servings: 6 pies
Calories: 1215kcal
Author: Matt and Emily Clifton, Nerds with Knives

Ingredients

For the jelly:

  • 2 cups pork or chicken stock
  • 1 packet gelatine

For the pastry (makes 6 pies):

  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups lard
  • 1 1/4 cups boiling water
  • An egg whisked
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

For the filling:

  • 2 lb. boneless country-style ribs cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 8 oz. pork belly or fat back cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 8 oz. thick-cut bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves. grated or minced
  • 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh sage chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

Make the filling

  • Roughly chop the pork, bacon, and fat into 1/4 inch chunks. Mix with herbs and seasoning and set aside.

Make the dough

  • Melt the lard in the boiling water. Measure the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl or food mixer, and mix in the butter. Add the dissolved lard and water. Mix with dough hook until the dough comes together. Hand-knead for a few minutes until the dough begins to develop gluten and is no longer sticky.

Form the pies

  • If you're making separate pies, divide the dough into 6, and remove a small section from each portion for the lid. With each portion, form balls and flatten them onto a floured surface. Push your mold or jam jar into the center of the portion, aiming to make the base about 1/4" inch thick. Pull the dough up the sides of the mold, taking care to keep the thickness even all the way around. Using a knife, cut a top edge about halfway up the mold.
  • Form the remaining pastry into rounds the same diameter as the molds, and using a knife or icing tip, create a small hole in the center of each round. Chill the dough on the molds for an hour.

Fill and bake

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Once the dough is chilled, carefully remove the crusts from the molds, taking care not to tear the pastry. Start filling with the pork, pushing the first half cup or so firmly into the base and sides of the shell. Fill the rest more loosely all the way to the top of the shell. Cover the filling with the round pastry lids, and crimp the sides and lids together to seal them. Brush the top and sides with egg wash. Put the pies on a baking dish and place in the oven for about 1 hour.
  • When the pies are almost done, prepare the jelly. Heat the stock in a medium saucepan to a simmer and stir in the gelatin. Once the pies are done, remove them from the oven, and pour the jelly carefully into the top holes until each is filled. Watch out for any leaks in the bottom of the casing!
  • Let the pies cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge and allow to thoroughly cool overnight to set.

Nutrition

Calories: 1215kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 208mg | Sodium: 1095mg | Potassium: 868mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1181IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 10mg
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