Christmas Pork Pie Food

CHRISTMAS PORK PIE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into fruit mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in pork, pecans and salt., Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge of plate. Fill with meat mixture. Roll out remaining pastry to fit the top of pie; make decorative cutouts in pastry. Set cutouts aside. Place top crust over filling; trim, seal and flute edges., Brush pastry and cutouts with milk; place cutouts on top of pie. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

CHRISTMAS EVE TORTIERE (JOAN'S PORK PIE)

Steps:

• Boil and mash the potatoes.
• Combine pork, onion, garlic, mace, sage, clove, pepper and brown meat.
• Add stock and simmer until most of liquid absorbed.
• Add additional salt and pepper to meat mixture to taste.
• Combine potato and meat mixture and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Fill pie crust and add second crust to cover. Crimp edges and use any leftover crust for holiday decorations.
• Slit top crust to let out steam.
• Bake 60 minutes at 375 degrees.

CHRISTMAS EVE PORK PIE

Steps:

• Cut up potatoes, cook in boiling water to cover for 20 minutes.
• Drain; mash.
• In a large skillet, brown pork, drain off all fat.
• Stir in the rest of the ingredients except potatoes.
• Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Stir in potatoes, cool.
• Roll half the pastry into 12 inch circle.
• Line a 9 inch pie plate.
• Trim even with rim.
• Fill with meat mixture.
• Roll out remaining dough, slit.
• Place atop filling, trim to 1/2 inch beyond rim.
• Seal and flute.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

PORK PIE

Steps:

• For the double crust leaf lard pastry: In a bowl, mix the flour and salt together with 2 knives. Cut in the lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture, a spoonful at a time, stirring with a fork and adding just enough water so it holds together. Shape into a ball, press into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
• For the pork filling: Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp; remove to a plate. Add the pork and a pinch of salt and brown for 2 minutes; remove to a plate. Add the potatoes, celery, celery leaves, parsley, savory, garlic and onions and sweat for 3 to 5 minutes. Deglaze the skillet with 1 cup of water, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the pork and bacon back to the skillet with the cinnamon, cloves and a large pinch of salt, and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, 20 minutes.
• While the mixture is simmering, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the chilled pastry into two 13-inch rounds for a 10-inch double-crust pie, or into one 14-inch round for a single-crust pie. If using the double-crust method, line a 10-inch pie plate with one of the pastry rounds and fill with the meat mixture; cover with the remaining pastry. Trim and crimp the edges to seal, and cut small steam vents. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolk and milk mixture. If using the single-crust method, place the meat mixture in a 10-inch pie plate and cover with the single pastry round. Trim, press the edges into the sides of the pan and cut small steam vents in the center. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolk and milk mixture. Bake until the crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes and serve warm.

PORK PIE

Steps:

• Brown ground beef and ground pork over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. Drain off grease.
• Mix together cooked meat, potatoes, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Line a 9 inch pie dish with pastry. Spoon pork mixture into pie crust, and top with second pie crust. Brush top crust with egg white. Shield crust edges with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Remove foil for final 15 minutes of baking to brown edges.