Making a pork pie

[Riklet]

Anyone made one before? Or making one this Winterval? Im going to make a pork pie for Christmas this year. I have decided it has to be huge, anything under 1kg is unacceptable. I usually try and buy a big one but I keep feeling disappointed by the ones I buy recently.. aside from the ones they sell for £3.50 at Waitrose deli. This will be my first time making one but mine will be awesome.

Sooo tips and tricks and advice please!

So far I am undecided on the mixture of pork meats to use. And minced or diced. Bacon or no bacon.

I am 100% using hot lard to make the pastry.

Going to use fresh thyme from my garden and get some fresh sage too.

Jelly is essential. What the fuck is with the lack of jelly in pork pies nowadsys. Get to fuck with that. My pie will have jelly and lots of it and im going to make it without gelatine and using bones and 2 pork trotters. I have a pressure cooker and made quite a few meaty stocks before. I have the trotter from a Spanish jamón leg in the freezer but im sceptical about using that forrin business....

As it's a large pie I need to ensure it cooks properly and is crispy and awesome and yet not overcooked.

Im thinking I should do a smaller pie this weekend as a trial run. A lot is riding on the big fella being a success....

 

[Johnny Vodka]

How to make the perfect pork pie – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

The festive favourite gets our resident perfectionist’s treatment

www.theguardian.com

 

[dessiato]

I made some when I lived in Puente Genil. They were excellent. I didn't mince the meat to a mush, instead I finely chopped it. The texture was, in my opinion, better.

I didn't use a mold. Instead I let them sag a little giving that more authentic Melton Mowbray shape.

I used butter for the hot water pastry because I had it handy and I couldn't find lard.

I must make more.

 

[WouldBe]

I've made one before. The meat was coarsely chopped and iirc the meat was cooked before putting in the pastry case. Jelly didn't work out too well but was delicious non the less.

 

[Riklet]

Ive been watching youtube videos. It seems they are mostly a pound for a reason, due to the hand raising thing. Apparently should be baked without a tin. I cant abide a light coloured undercooked crust so might have to take heed. You fellow pork pie fans may find this interesting...



I still wanna go big though. Decided im gonna use the expensive butchers for top free range pork and get some bones and 2 trotters for the jelly.

 

[Fuzzy]

I've made a couple before. I used the recipe in hugh Fernley's meat book. making the pastry is easy. i had a few cracks in the pastry so the jelly ran out of the pie. First time I tried it I boiled up a trotter to get the jelly. second time I just added gelatine to some stock.

 

[Fuzzy]

I've made a couple before. I used the recipe in hugh Fernley's meat book. making the pastry is easy. i had a few cracks in the pastry so the jelly ran out of the pie. First time I tried it I boiled up a trotter to get the jelly. second time I just added gelatine to some stock.

here's one of my efforts

 

[Callie]

Cor! That's a good looking pie!

I guess if you put gelatine in the stock you run the risk of it being a bit hard texture wise?I would have thought a trotter would be more than sufficient, assuming you can deal with the toes :/

 

[Riklet]

Mmm meat. Free range pork belly and shoulder and some sausage meat. Seasoned.



Those trotters making jellilicious jelly



Hot lard pastry



Cheating with a tin




Reglazed bad boy