Topic: Pork Pie Recipe Required Please

[daveylamp993]

Does anyone have a nice home made pork pie recipe that is relatively easy please,I'm hoping to put herbs and other things into the mix too,many thanks in advance of your replies.

[Melbourne12]

We use the Jane Grigson recipe, although with some variations!

Jelly

Bones from the pork, plus a trotter if you can get it, simmered with carrot and onion, 3 cloves, a dozen peppercorns, and bouquet garni.  Strain, and allow to cool.

Filling

2lb boned pork shoulder and/or belly.  Jane Grigson suggests that it should be 75% lean.  I prefer 66% lean maximum, otherwise the pie is too dry.   Half pound unsmoked bacon.  Dice the lean finely with a knife and mince or even put through a food processor the fat and the bacon.

She adds 1 tsp sage.  We omit it.
She adds half a tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.  We tend to reduce those quantities.
1 tsp (or even 2) anchovy essence
Freshly ground black pepper

Mix nicely and make a small patty to grill or fry to test for spices and salt.  Adjust spices and/or salt if necessary.


Hot water crust

7oz water and 6 oz lard (must be lard, no other fat) brought to the boil and added to the mixed dry ingredients of 1lb plain flour, level tablespoon icing sugar, half teaspoon salt.  Mix, and as soon as cool enough to handle, line the mould.  Try very hard not to break the pastry.  Repairs always leak when it comes to adding the jelly.  We have a hinged pie mould, but the modern silicone ones work well too, although they bulge a bit.

Assemble the pie and brush the top with egg wash.  Start it in a hot oven (200C/180C fan) for half an hour, then lower the heat to around 165C/150C fan until the filling is cooked (1 hour to 2 hours for a large pie).  Should be 165F/75C in the middle on a probe thermometer.

If you've got a hinged mould, lower the sides and brush the pastry with more egg wash and pop it back in the oven to colour the sides.

Allow to cool somewhat before carefully pouring in the warmed jelly stock through holes in the lid, using a funnel.  Put in the fridge to cool completely.

You can use gelatine to make the stock or to supplement it if you haven't got a trotter.

Take care with the herbs and spices.  One pie that we made, although perfectly edible, tasted a bit too much like sausage meat.

If you can be bothered, an even nicer result is to put the pork into a mild cure for a couple of days before making the pie.  Omit the bacon.

[jesssands]

The great british bake off series. One of the tasks in the last series was pork pies. I really enjoyed the episode. I have tried to find it on Iplayer and you tube but to no avail. Maybe it will be repeated on sky at some point x

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00yfs3l  Just a short clip from the episode is all I can find!!

[Melbourne12]

The great british bake off series. One of the tasks in the last series was pork pies. I really enjoyed the episode. I have tried to find it on Iplayer and you tube but to no avail. Maybe it will be repeated on sky at some point x

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00yfs3l  Just a short clip from the episode is all I can find!!

Brilliant!  I have the Paul Hollywood book.  Here's his recipe.  It's for a dozen small pies, made in a muffin tin, but it's easy enough to adapt for a larger pie.  (My comments in brackets)

Filling

1 large onion, finely chopped (personally, I wouldn't use onion, but who am I to quarrel with the great PH)
380g pork loin, finely chopped (so pretty expensive pies, these)
100g unsmoked back bacon, finely chopped
Small bunch of parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper

Mix, make a patty and fry to test the seasoning, adjust seasoning.

Pastry

265g plain flour
55g strong white bread flour
55g unsalted butter, cubed
65g lard
1 tsp salt
135ml boiling water
egg for glazing

Rub the butter into the flours.  Melt the lard in a pan and add the salted boiling water Add hot liquid to flour/butter and mix.  As soon as cool enough, roll the dough and cut 12 x 11-12cm rounds for the bases, and 12 x 6-7cm rounds for the lids.  Assemble pies in muffin tin, poke a hole in the centre of each for the liquid, brush with egg.  Bake at 190C (I assume 170C fan?) for 50 minutes.

Jelly

2 small leaves gelatine
Half a chicken stock cube
300ml boiling water

Make up gelatine as directed, using chicken flavoured stock.  When pies are done, carefully pour a little gelatine mixture through the holes in the top.  Leave to cool and refrigerate overnight for them to settle.

(Now, I don't know what a butter and lard hot water crust would be like, but I assume a little softer than the traditional pork pie.  This is a different beast from the Jane Grigson recipe.)

[jesssands]

I have not been brave enough to try making these yet, but hopefully one day I will.
I guess when PH bakes for Harrods, £cost is not an issue... so for him, it would be fillet of pork eh?
Thanks for posting the recipe, will keep it x