The Perfect Pork Pie
This week Rich will be showing us how to make a proper, pub-classic…you guessed it a pork pie!
Enjoy this perfect pie hot or cold, as a light lunch or savoury snack, and of course our serving suggestion includes pairing it with the other pub-classic…a pint!
So, we all know that the humble pie has been around for a long (long, long, long) time, but did you know that the actual word ‘pie’ can be traced back in the English language as far as 1303! And, some (important-ish) people have suggested that the word is actually derived from the word ‘magpie’. We will let you Google why!
If this is true, we think the nursery rhyme may have ended slightly differently… one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a delicious pork pie? Maybe not…
Right, history lesson over, lets get cooking.
Take it away Rich…
This recipe makes four pies (whether you share them is up to you).
Step-Pie-Step Guide
For perfect, crumbly pie pastry you will need:
- 500g plain flour
- 1 egg
- 175g lard
- 200ml water
- 10g salt
Then you’ll ‘knead’ to follow the below steps:
- Pop your flour, egg and salt into a large bowl and mix together.
- Next in a saucepan, bring your water and lard to the boil.
- Then combine your two mixtures to create your dough.
- Knead your dough for two to three minutes, then voila all ready! Onto your filling…
Creating your filling…
To create your perfect pork filling simply mix all the below ingredients together in a large bowl:
- 400g pork mince
- 200g diced pork loin
- 100g diced streaky bacon
- 3g ground mace
- 3g ground nutmeg
- 20g dried mixed herbs
- 6g salt
- 3g ground black pepper
We think you’re ready for this jelly…
To make your jelly:
- Create 500ml of hot stock using your Knorr chicken stock pot.
- Then on the hob in a large pan, reduce your 500ml of stock to 300ml.
- In a separate bowl, soften your gelatine leaves in cold water.
- Once your stock is reduced, add your gelatine leaves and stir until thoroughly dissolved into the mixture.
Building and baking…
- First things first, pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees.
- Next butter and flour your pie moulds.
- Then cut 4 x 140g balls of pastry for your bases.
- Leave the rest of the pastry to one side, these will make your lids (or pie hats if you’re feeling fancy).
- Roll your balls out until 1mm thick.
- Place a cross of parchment across your pastry and then lift into your pie mould and press into the edges. Leave no air in your moulds, and becareful not to tear your pastry, otherwise your super tasty filling will escape when cooking.
- Weigh 150g of your yummy filling into each pie.
- Then trim the edges of your lined moulds with the back of a small knife.
- Roll out your remaining pastry to a 2mm thickness and cut to the same width of your pie mould.
- Once cut, roll the lid out so it’s slightly bigger than the mould.
- Crimp the edge of your pie using your finger and thumb. Make sure there are no gaps and take the to time to make sure the crimping is neat.
- Cut a little hole in the lid of your pie (this is where you will add your jelly once your pie is cooked).
- Brush the lid in all the gaps with egg yolk, this will give them a nice golden brown finish.
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- Bake at 170°C for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Whilst your pies are baking, make your jelly (as above) and leave on the side to cool to room temperature.
- Once your pies are baked leave in their moulds and place on a cooling rack.
- Once cooled to room temperature place in the fridge to cool.
- Whilst in the fridge every 30 minutes to an hour add jelly using the hole in the top of your pie, until they are filled to the top.
- Chill your pies overnight.
- The next day take your pies out of the fridge and allow them to reach room temperature before removing them from their moulds.
- Then it’s time to taste your perfect pork pie creations. Bon ap-pie-tite everyone!
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