How To Make Traditional English Pork Pies
A classic English pork pie has a hand-formed hot water crust pastry, a minced or chopped pork filling, seasoned simply with salt and pepper and topped up with meat jelly, added after baking. It is intended to be eaten cold, the jelly acting as a protective layer that keeps out airborn nasties and which also stabilises the pie for carrying about without it breaking. The most famous English pork pie is the Melton Mowbary pork pie, which became common in Leicestershire England in the 18th century due to local pig farming. The Melton Mowbray pork pie used uncured pork and was hand raised . This receipe uses uncured shoulder pork, but does use a muffin tray to give a more event shape to the pies. These are simple to make and really delicious, especially with a good mustard. They are perfect for picnics as they keep well and travel well. For the history of the famous Melton Mowbary pork pie, visit the website of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association. I am so pleased such an organisation exists 🙂
Can You Freeze Pork Pies
In short, yes! Pork pies can safely be frozen with very little change to taste or texture.
To get the best results, wait until the pork pie has chilled fully in the fridge and the jelly has set firm.
Then simply wrap each pie tightly in cling film or foil. Be sure to add a freezer label or mark with a Sharpie the contents and date and pop them in the freezer.
When youre ready to eat, simply defrost in the fridge overnight.
The official advice is to defrost and eat within three months of freezing.
OK, lets bring those three elements together in this fabulous, homemade British Pork Pie recipe
- 350gplain floursieved
- 140mlwater
- 500gpork shoulderdiced
- 1tspdried sage
Preheat the oven to 180.
Sieve the flour into a large, ovenproof mixing bowl and pop in the oven to warm. You’re not trying to cook the flour, just warm it and the bowl through, so reduce the heat as necessary if you don’t get to work on the pastry straight away.
Place the water and lard into a saucepan. Gently bring to a boil and when the lard has melted, pour into the flour and salt mixture.
Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Working quickly, knead the dough when it is cool enough to handle. It will feel just lovely!
Place on a floured board and cut off 1/3 of the dough. Replace this into the mixing bowl with a tea towel over the top to keep the heat in. This off-cut will be ‘lid’ to your pie or pies.
Work on one portion of dough at a time, keeping the rest in the warm bowl.
Cook: 1hr Ready In: 1hr20min
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How To Make Homemade Pork Stock
I roasted pork bones and vegetables with herbs for pork stock.
Finished pork stock being made into pork jelly to fill the pork pies.
What Does A Pork Pie Hat Look Like
- Some of the points you should look for are:
- The pork pie has narrow brim, is similar to the Trilby hat, but not the Fedora
- The crown of a pork pie is low and flat and somewhat dome shaped think duck pond.
- It has a crease around its edge, which gives the pork pie hat a non-slip appearance.
- Pork pie hats usually come with a hatband or ribbon, all of this makes this a hat both simple in shape and striking in its effect.
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Traditional Pork Pie Jelly
As a hand raised pie cooks, the meat inside naturally shrinks.
This leaves you with a gap between that delicious, buttery pastry and the meaty bit in the middle.
In days gone by, when refrigeration was primitive, that gap could have posed serious health risks.
As there would be a stronger possibility of bacteria getting up to no good and spoiling the meat.
To fill that gap, and add extra nutrition to the pie, a thick stock would be made by boiling up the bones or carcass of the animal used.
The pigs trotter was most often used for this stock as it is so gelatinous.
The stock would be poured into the cooked pie with a funnel and left overnight to set firm.
I know a lot of people freak out about the jelly in a pork pie.
But if it is well seasoned, it is delicious.
And its really good for you too.It contains collagen, amino acids, protein, glucosamine and minerals among other things.
Assemble The Dish And Bake
Roll out pie crust. You’ll have to use your own judgment here depending on your baking vessel, but the pastry should be just over 1/8-inch thick.
Cover casserole/bowls with pastry, pierce with a knife to vent and bake for about 40 minutes until crust is browned.
Remove from oven. Cool slightly and serve.
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How To Make A Traditional Hand
| Potassium 407mg | 9% |
| *The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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 an easy, delicious pork pie that’s easy to do.
A traditional British pork pie is made using hot water pastry which is then raised by hand using a mold or a jam jar for support. It’s different from a savory pot pie that Americans might be accustomed to insofar as it is usually served cold or at room temperature, and eaten as a snack. The filling consists of roughly chopped pork and pork fat, surrounded by a layer of jellied pork stock in a hot water crust pastry.
For the Hot Water Pastry
-
200milliliterswater
-
450grams plain flour, sifted
-
1pinchsalt
-
1teaspoonvegetable oil
For the Pie Filling
How To Make My Grandmas Pork Pie Recipe
Gather all of your ingredients
Start by browning the ground beef , pork, onions and garlic. Drain fat, add spices, crumble meat with a fork and set aside.
Cook potatoes until fork tender, drain & mash. Add butter, milk, salt & pepper to taste. just the same as if you were making mashed potatoes as a side dish. Combine meat With potatoes. Mix well.
Place first pie crust into a 9 pie plate. I like to sprinkle a little nutmeg on salt on the bottom.
Add meat and potato mixture.
Top with pie crust, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with nutmeg & salt.
Bake 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Cut and serve with cranberry sauce.
To make this as an appetizer-
Cut pie crust into 4 inch rounds
Add a small scoop of the meat filling
Fold over pinching edges closed to create a crescent-shaped hand pie
Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is golden.
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What Is My Hat Size
Ok, while you should know how to wear a pork pie hat the right way, it doesnt stop there, Everyone knows their shoe size, hats should be no different. You only have to measure the size of your hat once, it will never change
Simply measure your head circumference with a tape measure. Place it over your ears, i.e. around where the hat is, around your head. It is easier if someone helps you to read the centimetres. If there is no one around, use a mirror to help you. You can see the correct hat size in the size chart here.
British Pork Pie Filling
After dredging through my cookbook collection, I decided to use pork shoulder for my pork pie filling.
I trimmed all the tough-looking bits off, leaving the softer fat and of course that delicious meat.
That then got diced up really small.
I seasoned it well with dried sage, salt and pepper.
A good massage to blend in the seasoning and it was good to go.
Quick note: dont season the meat until your pastry is made and ready to fill.
If meat is sat around too long in salt, it draws out the moisture and makes it tough.
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What Is The Difference Between The Homburg And Pork Pie Hat
Hats are undeniably one of the necessary elements in forming a remarkable fashion ensemble. Wearing one can totally bring a look into the next level. Furthermore, hats are not just useful for their aesthetics, but also for their functionality.
If you are torn between a homburg hat and a Pork Pie Hat, then this article will surely help you distinguish the two. Also, this will aid you in choosing which of these two hats will best compliment you.
What Are Pork Pies Made Of
- Pork mince this helps bind the pork filling together.
- Diced, dry-cured, unsmoked streaky bacon use bacon with less than 20% fat, no more.
- Diced pork belly again, make sure this isnt too fatty. Youre looking for less than 20% fat.
- Pork stock ideally homemade for the best flavour but stock made from a stock cube will still work.
- Bay leaves use fresh ones if you can source them for the best flavour.
- Sage leaves the flavour of sage works well with the richness of the pork.
- Salt this brings out the flavour of the meat. Omit if you are using a stock cube for the pork stock.
- Cayenne pepper this gives the finished a pie a nice flavour kick.
- Bronze-leaf gelatine to make the pork jelly.
- Hot water crustpastry robust enough to be baked with the wet filling inside and filled with pork jelly afterwards.
- Egg wash to brown up the pastry nicely.
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How To Eat: Pork Pie
In the Midlands, pork pie is a traditional Christmas breakfast. But could you face it first thing? Must it always be served cold? Or do you scarf it with chips and gravy?
For many of us, Christmas Day breakfast is a strictly traditional affair. It starts at 7am, riffling through selection boxes with a glass of sherry, prosecco or a 7% IPA, which, due to a growing queasiness, means you then forget to eat until 10am, when by then panicking that you need to be at your mums in two hours you bolt down a bacon sandwich, as ballast.
In the Midlands, however, they do things differently. Those keen to uphold ancient regional habits , opt for pork pie for breakfast. Explanations as to where this tradition originates vary. Was the pork pie originally sustenance for the gentrys festive hunt? Or an annual treat for farm workers? Either way, each of the Midlands counties claims the Christmas pork pie as its own, which may well shock northerners. Not only is there a proud pork pie culture in Yorkshire , but, in 2015, a survey by the manufacturer Pork Farms found that more than 60% of British adults enjoy a pork pie at some point over the festive season, and that consumption is highest in the north-west.
History Of The Pork Pie
Back in the day portions of cooked meat or rissoles were often encased in a salt dough to protect it and keep it fresh. The dough wasnt edible but was peeled off and discarded with only the contents eaten. These workers lunches were probably the first known picnics.
Over time hundreds of recipes for meat wrapped in pastry have evolved . Terrine en croute, sausage rolls, pithiviers, sciachiatta, beef wellington, sfeeha but none are as beloved as the traditional English Pork Pie
The pork pie began life as a humble lunch for farmers and miners, but it was soon elevated by the aristocracy in the Victorian Era. They would pack extravagant picnics and hearty hunting lunches with the pork pie as the centrepiece. Delicious, filling and sturdy these pies were always sure to fill empty stomachs.
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What To Serve With Meat Pie
Serve tourtière with something that has a nice tart flavor to balance the richness of the savory meat pie.
Our family enjoyed meat pie with ketchup, but that was probably a modern evolution from the homemade chutneys and catsups of our ancestors. I vaguely remember a green tomato chow chow or piccalilli on the table. Here are some suggested sides:
- Pickled Foods: Anything pickled such as dill pickles, pickled string beans, pickled beets, relish, chow chow, or piccalilli.
- Cranberry Sauce: The mildly sweet and tart flavor of cranberries goes well with the savory meat pie. Try this recipe for cranberry sauce.
- Salads: Consider serving with a leafy green salad tossed with a tangy vinaigrette dressing.
- Roasted Vegetables: A nice medley of roasted root vegetables drizzled with a little bit of apple vinegar will help balance the richness of the meat pie.