Hearty Pork Pie Food

PORK PIES

Steps:

• For the filling: Mix together the bacon, pork shoulder, Worcestershire, mustard, fish sauce, salt, nutmeg and some pepper in a bowl. Divide into 4 even portions. Wrap each portion in 1 or 2 slices of prosciutto, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
• For the hot-water crust: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour. Set aside.
• Add the milk, water and lard to a saucepan; heat until warm and the lard has melted. Pour into the flour well and work the mixture with a wooden spoon until uniformly moistened. Transfer to a clean work surface and knead until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic and set aside to rest for 4 or 5 minutes. (Do not allow the dough to cool any further: as it cools, it sets and becomes hard to handle.)
• While the dough is still warm and pliable, divide it into 4 pieces. Pinch off a scant quarter of the dough from each piece and set aside. Form the larger portions into balls, then press into 5- to 6-inch disks. Using a small jar wrapped in plastic wrap, press the dough so that it reaches halfway up the jar, forming a "cup." Place the chilled, prosciutto-wrapped filling in the cups. Press the reserved smaller pieces of dough into disks and place on top of the filling, pinching the bottom crust and "lid" together at the edges. Make a hole in the middle of the lid with a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon. Brush the top of each pie with egg wash.
• Bake the pies for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F; bake for about 40 minutes more.

PORK POTPIE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine 5 tablespoons water egg and vinegar; sprinkle over dry ingredients, 1 tablespoon at a time. Toss lightly with a fork until dough forms a ball; add additional water if necessary. Divide into two balls; chill while preparing filling. , In a saucepan, cook potatoes, carrots, celery and onion in water for 10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain well. Add pork, gravy, rosemary if desired, salt and pepper; set aside. , On a floured surface, roll one ball of dough to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Fill with meat mixture. Roll remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut slits in top crust and place over filling; seal and flute edges. Brush pastry with cream if desired. Bake at 375° for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown.

MELTON MOWBRAY PORK PIE

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the lard, milk and water into a small pan and gently heat until the lard has melted.
• Sift the flour into a large bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
• Make a well in the flour and pour in the warm lard mixture. Mix well to combine, until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Knead for a few minutes, then form into a ball and set aside.
• For the pork jelly, place all of the pork jelly ingredients into a large pan and pour in enough water to just cover. Bring slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for three hours over a low heat, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface, then strain the stock through a fine sieve and discard the solids.
• Pour the sieved stock into a clean pan and simmer over a medium heat until the liquid has reduced to approximately 500ml/1 pint.
• For the pie filling, place all of the pie filling ingredients into a large bowl and mix well with your hands. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Line a pork pie dolly (or a jam jar) with cling film to prevent the pastry from sticking.
• Pinch off a quarter of the pastry and set aside. On a floured work surface, roll out the remaining three-quarters of pastry into a round disc about 3cm/1¼in thick. Place the pie dolly into the middle of the pastry circle and draw the edges of the pastry up around the sides of the dolly to create the pie casing. Carefully remove the dolly from the pastry once your pie casing is formed.
• Roll the pork pie filling into a ball and carefully place into the bottom of the pastry case.
• Roll out the remaining piece of pastry into a circle large enough to cover the pastry case as a lid.
• Brush the top inner parts of the pastry casing with some of the beaten egg and place the pastry circle on top. Pinch the edges of the pastry to seal the pie. Brush the top of the pie with the rest of the beaten egg, then bake in the oven for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the pie is golden-brown all over.
• Remove the pie from the oven and set aside to cool. Cut two small holes in the top of the pork pie and pour in the pork jelly mixture (you may need to heat it through gently to loosen the mixture for pouring). Chill in the fridge until the jelly is set.
• To serve, cut the pie into slices and serve with piccalilli or chutney.

CREAMY PORK POTPIE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the pork, vegetables, cheese, seasoned salt and pepper; heat through., Transfer to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into an 11x7-in. rectangle. Place over pork mixture. Brush with egg. , Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

MINI PORK PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a small saucepan, mix cornstarch and broth until blended; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. , In a large skillet, cook pork, garlic and seasonings over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until pork is no longer pink, breaking up pork into crumbles; drain. Add broth mixture; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Cool slightly., Unroll each pie crust. On a work surface, roll each into a 12-in. circle. Using floured round cookie cutters, cut twenty 4-in. circles and twenty 2-3/4-in. circles, rerolling scraps as needed. Place large circles in ungreased muffin cups, pressing crust on bottoms and up sides., Fill each with 3 tablespoons pork mixture. Place small circles over filling; press edges with a fork to seal. In a small bowl, whisk egg and milk; brush over tops. Cuts slits in crust., Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove pies to wire racks. Serve warm. Freeze option: Freeze cooled pies in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw pies in refrigerator overnight. Reheat on ungreased baking sheets in a preheated 350° oven 14-17 minutes or until heated through.

POTATO PORK PIE

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Mash potatoes with the cream, 2 tablespoons butter, salt and pepper. Spread 1-1/2 cups of mashed potatoes into a greased shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. , In a large skillet, saute onion in remaining butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth, mustard, thyme and 2 tablespoons parsley. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in pork; heat through. Pour over the potato crust. , Pipe or spoon remaining mashed potatoes over top. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.