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English Pork Pie

Here's how you make English Pork Pie
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  • Servings: 8
  • Prep: 50m
  • Cook: 2.5h
    • The following recipe serves 8 people.

Ingredients

The ingredients are:
  • FOR FILLING
  • 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder
  • 1 pounds pork belly
  • 1/2 pound bacon, sliced (smoked)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sage, chopped (fresh)
  • 2 teaspoons thyme (fresh)
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh)
  • 1 teaspoon mace
  • 1 tablespoon salt (to taste, but it’s a lot of meat!)
  • 2 teaspoons cracked pepper
  • FOR PASTRY
  • 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup lard
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 large egg, for coating
  • FOR GELATIN
  • 1 package (1/4 ounce) gelatin powder (Knox)
  • 1 cup chicken stock (for setting of gelatin powder)
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken stock (for heating)
We recommend you get your ingredients ready before you start cooking. Once you're ready, here are the steps to making this delicious recipe

How to Make

  • This recipe takes some time. Total cook time is 2.5 hours but you have to cool the pie to add the gelatin and then you have cool the pie in the fridge once completed overnight. Prep time for the pork mixture is approximately 20-30 minutes, pastry is 15-20 minutes, and gelatin is 15 minutes.

  • TO MAKE THE FILLING

  • Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add all three pork components, thyme, sage, nutmeg, mace, salt and pepper, and blend thoroughly with a wooden spoon (or your hands.) Refrigerate until it’s time to add to the pan.

  • Step 2: Make the Pastry: Preheat oven to 350°F. Add flour to a large mixing bowl. Using a sauce pan over low heat, add the water and lard, and heat until melted. Increase heat and bring to boil, then and remove from heat. Slowly mix water and lard mixture into flour until combined, let it cool enough to touch, and then knead together with your hands.

  • Step 3: Remove 1/4 of the dough and reserve for the top, wrap with plastic, and set aside.

  • Step 4: Use the remaining 3/4 to line evenly along the sides and bottom of a lightly buttered 7 inch springform pan.

  • Step 5: Add pork mixture and pack rather tightly.

  • Step 6: Roll out the dough reserved for the top to about a 5 mm thickness, or enough to pinch together with the sides already in the pan, then place on top of the meat. Cut away a small hole or vent for steam. This is also where you will later pour the gelatin.

  • Step 7: Place in the oven for 30 minutes at 350°F.

  • Step 8: After 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for 90 minutes.

  • Step 9: At 90 minutes, brush the top with beaten egg and place back in the over for another 30 minutes.

  • Step 10: Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for roughly an hour and a half. You can make the gelatin at this point.

  • TO MAKE THE GELATIN

  • Step 11: Combine the gelatin with 1 cup COLD chicken stock and wait 5 to 10 minutes, until it has "bloomed".

  • Step 12: Heat the remaining chicken stock to almost a boil, remove from heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

  • Step 13: When the pie has cooled, use a funnel to add the gelatin, in batches, into the steam vent.

  • Step 14: Cover the pie with plastic and place in the refrigerator overnight.

We hope you enjoy this recipe!

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