Melton Mowbray style pork pies

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Melton Mowbray style pork pies

This recipe makes about 6 single portion Melton Mowbray style pork pies using hot water crust pastry and best quality ingredients.

Raised pies are easier to make whilst the pastry is warm.

Ingredients

Hot water pastry

• • 225 g (8 oz) strong plain flour
  • Pinch of crushed sea salt
  • 25 ml (1 fl oz) milk
  • 25 ml (1 fl oz) water
  • 75 g (3 oz) lard or shortening
  • 1 large egg yolk, whisked, for glazing and sealing

Pork pie filling

• 350 g (12 oz) pork shoulder, including a little fat
  • 110 g (4 oz) unsmoked back bacon rashers, rind removed
  • 1.5 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
  • ½ teaspoon anchovy essence or 1 teaspoon finely chopped anchovies
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mace
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 180° C (350° F - Gas 4)

Prepare the filling

1. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and chop to a coarse mix using the pulse button a few times. Don't over do it or you will end up with meat paste

Hot water crust pastry

1. Sift the salt and flour into a bowl
2. Mix the water and milk into a small pan gently heat
3. Cut the lard into small pieces and drop into the milk/water mix
4. Once the lard has completely melted, raise the heat and bring to the boil and then immediately remove from the heat
5. Pour into the flour and using a wooden spoon, mix well
6. Dust a chopping board with a little extra flour and knead the dough for a minute or two
7. Use 2/3rds of the dough for the pies and 1/3 for the lids
8. Divide 2/3rd into 6 and roll into balls, using your hands, mould each ball into a pie shape
9. Divide the filling into six portions and fill the pies
10. Using a pastry brush, paint a little of the egg yolk around the rim of each pie
11. Divide the remaining 1/3rd into six pieces, roll into balls and then roll each ball flat to make the pie lids
12. Crimp the lids to the pies with the tines of a fork and glaze the pies with any remaining egg yolk
13. Make a little steam slash in the top of each pie and bake on a tray for about 50 to 55 minutes
14. Allow to cool on a wire rack

Serving suggestions

Serve warm or cold

Chef's notes

Having made these, I would suggest that this quantity is better suited to 4 slightly larger pies. Although unconventional, to prevent them collapsing, I would bake them in muffin trays.

Follow the RSPCA Think Pig Checklist to make sure that your pork has come from pigs that have been reared to higher welfare standards.

• http://bit.ly/rspcathinkpig