This Pork Pie is a savory treat built on a sturdy hot water crust pastry filled with seasoned pork, sausage, and bacon. It bakes into a hearty, hand-held pie with a perfectly golden shell. Serve it room temperature or chilled, just as they do at Christmas with pickled onions, brown sauce or Branston pickle. It's traditional, comforting, and totally crowd-pleasing.
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 at Christmas. We also always enjoy loads of homemade sausage rolls and English Sherry Trifle at Christmas!
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.
Hot Water Crust Meets Savory Pork Filling
Pastry
- Hot Water Crust Pastry
Made with lard, milk, water, flour, and salt, this pastry bakes into a strong, pliable shell that's perfect for holding rich meat fillings. I have a whole post dedicated on how to make Hot Water Pastry.
Filling
- Pork Shoulder, Bacon & Hot Sausage Meat
A trio of pork cuts, bacon, and sausage blends into a flavorful, textured filling-not overly spicy, just savory and rich. - Fresh Sage & Thyme, Allspice, Mace, Anchovy Paste, Worcestershire & Optional Hot Sauce
These aromatics and seasonings layer in warm, savory depth and subtle complexity throughout the meat filling.
Jelly (Optional)
- Gelatin, Hot Broth (Chicken or Pork), Salt & Pepper
If using, this mixture thickens into a savory aspic that fills gaps left by shrinking meat and keeps the pie moist. Traditional jelly was made with pig trotters boiling in water down to that liquid that turns into jelly.
How to Make Classic Pork Pies
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.
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
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PrintRecipe Card
Classic British Pork Pie with Hot Water Crust
This Pork Pie is a savory treat built on a sturdy hot water crust pastry filled with seasoned pork, sausage, and bacon. It bakes into a hearty, hand-held pie with a perfectly golden shell. Serve it room temperature or chilled, just as they do at Christmas with pickled onions, brown sauce or Branston pickle. It's traditional, comforting, and totally crowd-pleasing.
- Total Time: 2 Hours 25 Minutes
- Yield: 7 Muffin Size Pork Pies + 1- 6inch Springform Pan or 1 9X5 Loaf 1x
Ingredients
Pastry
- (2) Hot Water Crust Pastry (When you look at this recipe on that page press the 2X button to double the ingredient quantities)
Pork Pie Filling
- 2.5lb Pork Shoulder Butt Roast (I used a 4lb bone-in piece)
- 6oz Bacon ( You can use Streaky (American) or Back (English))
- 8oz (½lb) Hot Sausage Meat
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Fresh Sage
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Fresh Thyme
- ½ Teaspoon All Spice
- ½ Teaspoon Mace
- ½ Teaspoon Anchovy Paste
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- Couple Splashes of Hot Sauce, optional
- Egg + Water
Jelly (Optional, if you like a lot of jelly double this recipe)
- 1 Packet of Gelatin
- 4oz (½ Cup) Warm Water
- 4oz (½ Cup) Hot Pork or Chicken Broth or Stock
- Salt and Pepper to taste
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 combine 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 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. 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.
- 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 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 sheet pan to bake for another 25 minutes, this helps them get nice and brown all the way around the pastry sides. 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.
Jelly (Optional)
- After the pies have been baked and cooled. In a medium-sized bowl add the warm water and dissolve the 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 add some of the chicken jelly liquid into the same cavity you made previously with the straw. I like to do about 3 straws full of liquid, about a tablespoon or so. Store the pies in the fridge overnight for the gelatin to set.
Notes
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.
*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.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 1-2 Hours
- Category: Snack
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: English
Kay says
I have used yours and several other recipes they are always so good and tasty meat but I always struggle to get even the tiniest bit of the jelly in. Am I packing meat too tightly?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Kay, thanks for reaching out. I would say yes you might be packing the meat a bit too full in the cavity. I would do a little less meat so you can have room for the jelly! Goodluck! Please let me know if you have any other questions! Merry Christmas XX Liz
Bob Shea says
Your recipe isn’t clear as to when and how the gelatin stock is added to the pie, very interesting recipe can’t wait to try.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Bob, thanks for reaching out. I updated the recipe card to state to add the liquid after the pies have baked and cooled slightly. Good luck and please let me know how you get on and if you have any further questions! XX Liz