Proper Pork Pies Recipe | Pie Recipes | Tesco Real Food (2024)

90 ratings

Celebrate St. George's Day with a proper British pork pie. This is the perfect recipe for a special picnic or a summer lunch and an easy pastry for those with 'hot hands'. Start these pies the day before; they need to set overnight or for a good few hours before eating. Bear in mind that to make four small pies you will need four 340g jars (about 8.5cm/3.5in diameter). See method

  • Serves 8 (makes 4 pies)
  • 50 mins to prepare and 50 mins to cook, plus cooling and overnight chilling time
  • 420 calories / serving

Ingredients

For the hot water pastry

  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 40g (1 1/2oz) lard, diced
  • 40g (1 1/2oz) butter, diced
  • 340g (11 1/2oz) plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For the filling

  • 500g (1lb) pork shoulder, cut into small (1cm) cubes or roughly blitzed in a food processor
  • 120g (4oz) pork sausage meat (2 plump sausages)
  • 180g (6oz) smoked bacon lardons or chopped streaky bacon
  • ¼ tsp ground mace or nutmeg
  • 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
  • ½ tsp ground white pepper
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 3 leaves gelatine

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    1760kj
    420kcal
    21%
  • Fat

    20g29%
  • Saturates

    8g41%
  • Sugars

    1g1%
  • Salt

    1.3g22%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 35.9gProtein 25.6g Fibre 1.9g

Method

  1. To make the pastry, put 110ml water in a small saucepan, add the milk, diced lard and butter and heat through gently until the fat melts. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to the boil.
  2. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Have a table knife ready and carefully pour in the just-boiled liquid. Immediately stir with the table knife to form a rough dough. Knead lightly until the dough is smooth and silky, being careful not to overwork. Wrap in clingfilm and set aside to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  3. Combine the pork shoulder, sausage meat, bacon, mace or nutmeg, sage, white pepper in a mixing bowl with a large pinch of salt, making sure the ingredients are evenly mixed. Take one-third of the dough and wrap it in clingfilm.
  4. To make four small pies, have ready 4 x 340g jars (about 8.5cm/3.5in diameter). Wrap the (outside) bases of the jars in clingfilm. Divide the remaining two-thirds of the pastry into four even pieces. Keeping any unused pastry covered with clingfilm or a tea towel to stop it drying out, mould one pastry piece evenly around the base of the jar, bringing it about 8-9cm/3.5in up the sides.
  5. Make sure the base isn’t too thick and that the pastry is even, without any holes (mould/press these out or patch with a little extra pastry, as necessary). Repeat with the other three jars and turn upside down. Refrigerate for 1 hour, until chilled and hard. Divide the reserved third of pastry into four. Roll each piece out to form a circle, about 8cm/3.5in in diameter, cover with clingfilm and set aside at room temperature while the jars chill.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, gas 4.
  7. To remove the pastry cases, turn the jars right-side up and carefully pour boiling water from the kettle into the jars themselves. The pastry case can then be gently pulled downwards to remove it from the jar in one piece. Sit the cases on a baking sheet.
  8. Divide the pork mixture between the four pie cases, pressing it in firmly with the back of a teaspoon while supporting the sides. Lay the circles on top and pinch the edges together firmly, crimping right the way around between finger and thumb to make a raised crimped crown. Repeat to seal all 4 pies. Brush the tops of the pies with beaten egg and use a small knife or skewer to make a small hole in the top of each.
  9. Bake for 50 minutes, until the pastry turns a rich golden brown. Check halfway through and cover the tops loosely with foil if they appear to be over-browning. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
  10. While the pies cook, heat the chicken stock in a small pan until almost boiling, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, until softened. Squeeze out the excess water and add to the hot stock, stirring to dissolve. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
  11. Using a very small funnel or a plain piping nozzle, pour the stock into the hot pies via the central holes, adding it slowly to give it time to soak in and run into the gaps between the meat and the pastry at the sides and on the tops. Leave to cool completely, then chill the pies for at least 4 hours or overnight to set the jelly.

See more British recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

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Proper Pork Pies Recipe | Pie Recipes | Tesco Real Food (2024)

FAQs

What pastry are pork pies made from? ›

Hot water crust is a type of pastry used for savoury pies, such as pork pies, game pies and, more rarely, steak and kidney pies. Hot water crust is traditionally used for producing hand-made pies.

What is the difference between a pork pie and a Melton Mowbray pork pie? ›

The sides of a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie are bow-shaped as they are baked free standing, whereas most other pork pies are straight-sided being baked in hoops. The meat used is fresh pork which is naturally grey when cooked, liked roast pork, not pink like other pork pies which used cured pork.

What is the gel in pork pies? ›

Traditional jelly was made with pig trotters boiling in water down to that liquid that turns into jelly. Adding jelly also helps keep the pork filling moist. So if you would like to it's not hard but you will need: Gelatin.

Which is the best pork pie? ›

Leeson Family Butchers' Melton Mowbray pork pies are amongst the best in the world. Show Champion 2018, Gold award winner 2019, Show Champion (pork pie category) 2021, 2022 and 2023.

What town is famous for pork pies? ›

The Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray has been known for its pork pies since the 1700s — a by-product of the local cheesemaking industry (stilton is produced nearby), whose surplus whey proved ideal for fattening pigs.

Why is there no jelly in pork pies? ›

While you can make a pork pie without the jelly, traditional pork pies have gelatin (some boiled pig trotters) added to preserve and keep the meat moist. You will often see a small hole in the lid of the pie where the jelly has been poured in.

Why are pork pies pink in the middle? ›

Historians believe that the pork pie evolved from a pasty. Many parts of the country used to cure the pork filling before using it in a pie thereby creating a pink colour on the inside. In Melton Mowbray, the pie contained uncured fresh meat. Once roasted, the filling was grey resembling uncured roast pork.

Why are pork pies served cold? ›

warm would be greasy and unpleasant because the fat in the pork would melt and make the meat soft and mushy. Cold pork pie is utterly delicious - the meat is nice and firm. I love a nice Melton Mowbray pork pie with HP sauce! Yes (but not always).

Why is my pork pie soggy on the bottom? ›

How to Prevent a Soggy Bottom Pie Crust
  1. Blind Bake the Crust.
  2. Choose the Right Rack in the Oven.
  3. Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White.
  4. Put the Pie on a Hot Cookie Sheet.
  5. Make a Thicker Crust.
  6. Add a Layer.
  7. Consider a Metal Pie Pan.
Mar 18, 2024

What is the slang for pork pies? ›

Apart from the literal meaning of actual pies filled with pork, 'pork pies' is co*ckney rhyming slang for 'lies'. With rhyming slang the actual portion that rhymes is often dropped in order to further confuse the outsider, so it becomes 'porkies'. So, someone 'telling porkies' is a liar.

What is the best thickener for meat pies? ›

FINO PIE THICKENING is a balanced blend of cereals and starches especially designed for thickening and stabilising pie meat.

Can you buy the jelly for pork pies? ›

Can I buy the jelly that you find in a pork pie? You mean unflavored gelatin. Yes, you can buy it most any well stocked grocery store.

What is the best pie thickener? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

What is an English pork pie called? ›

Pork pies in Yorkshire

In Yorkshire slang a pork pie is sometimes called a "growler", a term probably derived from the "NAAFI growler" of earlier naval and army slang. An annual pork pie competition is held in April at The Old Bridge Inn, Ripponden, Yorkshire.

What pastry is pie made from? ›

If you are making a pie with a crust you'll need to decide which type of pastry to go for. Shortcrust pastry is the best for pies that fully encase a filling as they tend to be firmer and less likely to leak. Puff pastry is great if you prefer just a pastry lid on top of the filling.

What pastry is meat pie made from? ›

The great Australian Meat Pie!! Shortcrust pastry filled with slow cooked chunky pieces of beef in a rich gravy topped with golden puff pastry, this meat pie recipe requires patience but you will be regarded as a bloody legend by everybody fortunate enough to try one!

What is the difference between puff pastry and rough puff? ›

Rough puff pastry is differentiated by: A shorter processing time. Fewer folds. Reduced or no rest time between successive folds.

What's the difference between pie crust and pastry crust? ›

One of the major differences between the two is the consistency of the crust. While pie crusts are very flaky and light, tart crusts or pastry crusts, tend to be firm and crumbly and not at all flaky.

References

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