A traditional recipe for a British
pork pie. Many variations exist, depending on where you look within Britain,
but the basic idea is the same all over the islands.
These quantities are for 1 large pie.
The pie can be kept in a fridge for up to 5 days and served with a salad or just
on it own as a snack with your favourite pickles.
Filling
1 Kg of various pork cuts of your
choice (belly, leg, shoulder)
2 pig's trotters
2 onions
2 carrots
1 stick celery
Fresh sage
Fresh rosemary
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Bay leaves
Salt
Hot Water Pastry
2 cups plain flour
Half a cup of corn (maize) flour
Salt
Icing sugar
1 egg
200ml water
75g butter
75g lard
Filling
Dice the pork cuts into cubes of
about 1cm then place into a large pot. Add the pig foot (washed) into the
pot along with the roughly chopped carrot, celery and onion.
Add in a handful of each herb
(roughly chopped).
Fill the pot with water to the level
of the top of the meat, add a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for
2 hours.
Pastry
In a large bowl, add together 2 cups
of plain flour, half a cup of corn (maize) flour, 1 teaspoon salt, half a
teaspoon of icing sugar, 1 beaten egg.
In a saucepan, put in 200ml water,
75g butter and 75g lard. Place on the heat and when the butter has melted
but not up to boiling point, gradually add the liquid into the bowl with the
flour mixture in it. Mix together well with a wooden spoon until a firmly
bound pastry is formed. If you have added too much liquid, then add extra
flour to get the correct consistency.
Wrap in cling film and leave to rest
in the fridge for 15 minutes before using.
Assembling the Pie
Lightly oil a deep round (or long
rectangular) pie tin.
Press out 2/3 of the pastry into a large disk then line the pie tin base and
sides with the pastry. Press the pastry around the tin to create an even
lining.
Fill the pastry with the pork meat
(not the trotter) and a little juice. Save the rest of the juice in a cool
place.
Hand press out another disk of pastry
with the remainder then lay over the pie to form the top. Seal the pie all
around the rim. Create a hole in the centre of the pie, about 2cm
diameter.
Beat an egg and add a splash of milk.
Brush this egg-wash over the pie.
Bake the pie in the oven at 175°C for
about 1 hour.
When cooked, remove from the oven and
allow to cool.
When the pie is cool and the
remaining liquid is almost set, fill the pie with the strained juice through the
hole left in the top.
Place in a fridge for at least 2
hours to set the jelly. Inverse the pie onto a plate. Store in the
fridge.
Serving - Cut wedges or
slices of
the pie and serve with salad and/or pickles.