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British Pork Pies
3.7 from 9 votes

British Pork Pies

Your classic British cold pork lunch pie: seasoned pork and aspic in a firm and thoroughly tasty hot water crust pastry. It's a process befitting a Tudor kitchen, but making these Melton Mowbray-style pork pies is way easier — and more fun! — than you might expect.

Prep Time
3 hrs
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
4 hrs
Servings: 6 pies
Calories: 1215 kcal
Course: Appetizer, Snacks
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

For the jelly:
  • 2 cups pork stock or chicken stock
  • 1 gelatin packet
For the pastry (makes 6 pies):
  • 10 tablespoons butter unsalted
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups lard
  • 1 1/4 cups water boiling
  • egg whisked
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
For the filling:
  • 2 lb. country-style pork ribs cut into 1/4 inch cubes, boneless
  • 8 oz. pork belly cut into 1/4 inch cubes, or fat back
  • 8 oz. Bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces, thick-cut
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper cracked
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
  • 3 teaspoons thyme chopped, fresh leaves
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary chopped, fresh
  • 2 teaspoons sage chopped, fresh
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated

Instructions

Make the filling
    Cup of Yum
  1. Roughly chop the pork, bacon, and fat into 1/4 inch chunks. Mix with herbs and seasoning and set aside.
Make the dough
  1. Melt the lard in the boiling water. Measure the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl or food mixer, and mix in the butter. Add the dissolved lard and water. Mix with dough hook until the dough comes together. Hand-knead for a few minutes until the dough begins to develop gluten and is no longer sticky.
Form the pies
  1. If you're making separate pies, divide the dough into 6, and remove a small section from each portion for the lid. With each portion, form balls and flatten them onto a floured surface. Push your mold or jam jar into the center of the portion, aiming to make the base about 1/4" inch thick. Pull the dough up the sides of the mold, taking care to keep the thickness even all the way around. Using a knife, cut a top edge about halfway up the mold.
  2. Form the remaining pastry into rounds the same diameter as the molds, and using a knife or icing tip, create a small hole in the center of each round. Chill the dough on the molds for an hour.
Fill and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Once the dough is chilled, carefully remove the crusts from the molds, taking care not to tear the pastry. Start filling with the pork, pushing the first half cup or so firmly into the base and sides of the shell. Fill the rest more loosely all the way to the top of the shell. Cover the filling with the round pastry lids, and crimp the sides and lids together to seal them. Brush the top and sides with egg wash. Put the pies on a baking dish and place in the oven for about 1 hour.
  2. When the pies are almost done, prepare the jelly. Heat the stock in a medium saucepan to a simmer and stir in the gelatin. Once the pies are done, remove them from the oven, and pour the jelly carefully into the top holes until each is filled. Watch out for any leaks in the bottom of the casing!
  3. Let the pies cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge and allow to thoroughly cool overnight to set.

Nutrition Information

Calories 1215kcal (61%) Carbohydrates 98g (33%) Protein 55g (110%) Fat 66g (102%) Saturated Fat 29g (145%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 208mg (69%) Sodium 1095mg (46%) Potassium 868mg (18%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 1181IU (24%) Vitamin C 7mg (8%) Calcium 90mg (9%) Iron 10mg (56%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 pies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1215

% Daily Value*

Calories 1215kcal 61%
Carbohydrates 98g 33%
Protein 55g 110%
Fat 66g 102%
Saturated Fat 29g 145%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 208mg 69%
Sodium 1095mg 46%
Potassium 868mg 18%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 1181IU 24%
Vitamin C 7mg 8%
Calcium 90mg 9%
Iron 10mg 56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.