How To Make Pork Pie (British Style)

These delicious pork pies are a traditional English meat pie that is fairly easy to make. Hot water crust pastry is filled with a delicious pork filling and jellied stock on top. Served cold or room temperature often with pickled onions, brown sauce, or Branston pickle! Step-by-step photos teach you how to make these pork pies!

this recipe

It ain't Christmas at my house without a pork pie. Pork pies are always enjoyed during the Christmas season. Along with other treats like Christmas Pudding and Mince Pies. Unlike most other meat pies, pork pie is served at room temperature or chilled. They are the perfect afternoon snack. A delicious pastry shell is filled with a mixture of ground pork or chopped pork, talk about heaven!

This recipe comes to you thanks to my mom and aunty Maureen. As long as I can remember they have always spent a day making traditional pork pies for us all to enjoy.

Traditionally a Melton Mowbray pork pie is made free-standing. You could shape the pie dough around a glass or something then remove the glass fill the pie and bake. These days I generally just make my pork pies in a muffin tin, loaf pan, or springform pan. For a muffin tin, I bake the pies ¾ of the way in the pan then remove them from the tin and place them on a sheet tray to continue baking for an extra golden brown exterior.

Ingredients

This ingredient list looks long but the whole process is fairly quick and easy!

• Hot Water Crust Pastry. When you look at this Hot Water Pastry Recipe on that page press the 2X button to double the ingredient quantities. The pastry is made with lard and so good!!
• Pork Shoulder Butt Roast. I used a 4lb bone-in piece that gave me about 2.5lbs of meat once cut up.
• Bacon. You can use Streaky (American) or Back (English))
• Hot Sausage Meat. You could use mild but the heat just adds more flavor, since the sausage is mixed with loads more pork shoulder and bacon you really don't get the heat.
• Fresh Sage and Fresh Thyme. You should be able to find this in the refrigerated section at your local shop. I prefer fresh but if you cannot get your hands on it then feel free to use dried. Keep in mind that dried herbs are more potent than fresh, generally, one tablespoon of fresh herbs is equivalent to one teaspoon of dried herbs, so make sure to adjust accordingly. While we don't use garlic, you could totally add some if you want.
• All Spice. I love this spice.
• Mace. Mace provides a classic flavor you can't go without. I sometimes have trouble finding jars of ground mace, but have better luck finding it in bulk stores, my local Sprouts had mace. In a pinch, you could substitute nutmeg as ground mace has a similar warm, nutmeg flavor.
• Anchovy Paste. Just a bit really adds some great flavor.
• Salt. We are using quite a bit of meat so you'll want to use all of the salt. Some people suggest cooking a chunk of the pork pie filling in a frying pan until done then to taste the filling to see if you need more salt, I personally don't bother, but if you are worried you could!
• Pepper. I prefer to use fresh ground black pepper.
• Worcestershire Sauce. The secret flavor bomb, the truth is I love Worcestershire sauce on just about anything! I use it in my Shepherd's Pie Recipe too!
• Hot Sauce. This is not traditional but we like to add a few splashes just for flavor. But it is totally optional. It gives the filling a little burst or kick of flavor that we love!
• Egg + Water. You'll need an egg and some water to create an egg wash to brush the pastry with, this is what will give the pastry its beautiful sheen, please don't skip it!

I grew up with my mom skipping the jelly since none of us really loved it, so in my opinion, the jelly is optional, but it is traditional to have the jelly.

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. I like to use gelatin powder.
• Warm Water. You'll want to dissolve the gelatin in warm water first then you'll add the hot stock.
• Broth or Stock. Traditionally you would cook pork to make your own but I use a good-quality store-bought chicken stock that works beautifully too!
• Salt and Pepper to taste

We like to serve the pork pies with Branston pickle and pickled onions.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and generously butter the pans you will be using. For individual ones, I use a cupcake pan. For a large pork pie, you can use a springform pan or a loaf pan.

I prefer to prepare the meat mixture first then do the pastry as you want to work with the pastry while it is still quite warm.

You can ask your butcher to mince the pork shoulder or you can do it yourself. Cut the pork into chunks then place in a food processor and pulse a few times.

I prefer to not completely mince the pork, I find it gives the pork pies a better texture to use roughly chopped pork. 

Use a food processor or knife to chop the bacon into small pieces.

In a large bowl stir together all of the meat filling ingredients; the chopped pork, bacon, sausage meat, sage, thyme, allspice, mace, anchovy paste, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.

I find it easiest just to use clean hands versus a spoon to really combine everything. 

Take your pastry and roll it to just under a ¼" thickness, cut to the size you need for your pan, take the scrapes, and re-roll to make the tops for the pies.

For the cupcake size pan I use a coffee cup to measure a 4-inch circle.

Gently and carefully place the bottom pastry inside the buttered pan and gently pull/stretch the sides up to the top.

You'll find hot water crust pastry is very pliable, if you have any thin spots add a bit more pastry to create an even thickness all the way around and make sure you have no tears or splits otherwise some of the fillings will ooze out.

If you were making raised pork pies as in not baking in the tin you could wrap the pastry around a small-medium jar and bring it up the sides of the jar as to whatever height you want your pie to be. Then take a piece of parchment or wax paper and cover the sides and tie with some twine, then place in the fridge to harden for 20 minutes, or until hardened. Then take out of the fridge remove the jar and fill with pork and add the pastry top. Then place them on a sheet pan to bake.

Fill the pastry with the pork mixture and pack it in tightly as meat shrinks as it cooks.

Cut the pastry top and spread a bit of water on the back of the pastry so it helps seal to the bottom pastry, then use your fingers to seal the two pieces of pastry together to seal the pie shut. You can now use a fork for an easy design or flute or crimp the pastry. 

In a small bowl mix together an egg and splash of water until combined then use a pastry brush to give the pork pie a generous egg wash. Then use a straw to poke a hole in the top. For a loaf pan, I would make three holes for muffin size only one hole is needed, this lets the steam escape while baking. 

For a loaf or springform pan, the pie will take about 1 hour 30 Minutes - 1 Hour 45 Minutes to bake.

For the muffin size pork pies bake them for 40 minutes then gently remove them from the pan and place them on a baking sheet to bake for another 25 minutes, this helps them get nice and brown all the way around the pastry sides. You can see in the photo below the pork pies are almost done but taking them out of the muffin tin will ensure a gorgeous golden crust.

Let the pies cool for an hour or so on a wire rack then transfer to an air-tight container and store in the fridge. 

How to make the jelly

In a medium-sized bowl add the warm water and dissolve the gelatin or leaf gelatin, whisk vigorously to combine. Once dissolved whisk in the hot chicken broth. Carefully taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.

Use a funnel or a straw (hold the top of the straw with your finger to close it while you pick up some liquid) to carefully pour some of the chicken jelly liquid into the same cavity you made previously with the straw. I like to do about 3 straw suctions fulls of liquid, about a tablespoon or so in each mini pork pie.

Store the pies in the fridge overnight for the gelatin to set.

How to freeze

Once the pie has baked let the pie cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap tightly, twice, then once in foil. Freeze for up to three months. To thaw a frozen baked pork pie transfer it from the freezer to a plate and place it in the fridge for 24 hours. When ready to serve the pork pie pull it out of the fridge about an hour and a half before serving to come to room temperature.

Can you double

Yes, just press the 2X button on the recipe card below. For the photos, I actually doubled the recipe then froze some of the meat pies to share with friends and family later.

More traditional English recipes

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Every person who tries this Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe falls head over heels!! So delicious!

When I used to work at the pubs this was the dessert most Americans were fascinated by and had to know more about- Spotted Dick!

A British party isn't complete with a Trifle or bread and butter pudding!

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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