hand raised pie

Unsure how to make a pork pie? This traditional hot water crust pastry filled with pork shoulder and belly will ensure success

Raised pork pie

pork shoulder,minced

pork belly,half

smoked bacon,cubed

½ tsp ground mace

nutmeg

tbsp fresh chopped sage

tsp fresh chopped thyme

salt

tsp white pepper

plain flour

lard

water

egg,beaten

gelatine leaves

chicken stock

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients for the filling.

To make the pastry, put the flour in a large bowl, then put the lard and water into a small pan and heat gently until the lard melts. Bring just to the boil and then stir into the flour using a wooden spoon. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, (it should still feel very warm) knead well until smooth.

Cut off 1/4 of the dough, wrap in cling film and reserve for the lid. Roll out the remaining dough to a circle and then place in the base of a non-stick 20cm springform cake tin. Working quickly while the dough is warm and pliable, press the dough evenly over the base and up the sides of the tin. Make sure there are no holes. Fill with the meat mixture and pack down well. Roll out the dough for the lid. Place on top of the pie. Pinch all around the edge to seal the pie. Make a hole for steam in the centre, using the handle of a wooden spoon.

Cook in the oven for 30 mins then reduce the heat to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for 90 minutes. Brush the top with beaten egg and return to the oven for a further 20 mins. Leave until cold.

Soak the gelatine in cold water for about 5 mins, then remove and squeeze out the excess water. Heat the stock until almost boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatine. Leave to cool to room temperature.

Use a small funnel to pour the stock into the pie through the hole in the top. Pour in a little at a time allowing a few seconds before each addition. Place in the fridge to set overnight. Watch our <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-make-pork-pie">pork pie video</a> for techniques and tips.

British Pork Pie recipe

flour

egg (beaten)

pork shoulder (diced)

sage

tsp pepper

pig trotter

onion (halved)

Preheat the oven to 180.

Sieve the flour into a large, ovenproof mixing bowl and pop in the oven to warm. You're not trying to cook the flour, just warm it and the bowl through, so reduce the heat as necessary if you don't get to work on the pastry straight away.

Place the water and lard into a saucepan. Gently bring to a boil and when the lard has melted, pour into the flour and salt mixture.

Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Working quickly, knead the dough when it is cool enough to handle. It will feel just lovely!

Place on a floured board and cut off 1/3 of the dough. Replace this into the mixing bowl with a tea towel over the top to keep the heat in. This off-cut will be 'lid' to your pie or pies.

With the remaining 2/3 you are going to make the 'body' of your pie. If you are making one large pie, keep it as is. However if you are making smaller pies like I have in the pictures, divide the pastry into as many pies as you are making.

Work on one portion of dough at a time, keeping the rest in the warm bowl.

Making the Hot Water Crust Pastry

I use pigs trotters for my savoury pork pie jelly, but you can also use gelatin sheets if you prefer.

Place the cleaned trotter into the slow cooker along with the water, onion, salt and white pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low overnight.

I like to split the trotter halfway through the cooking time to allow more of the gelatin to be released into the cooking water.

Once cooked, drain well, keeping all of that wonderful stock. The debris can be disposed of and any extra stock can be frozen in ice cube trays and used in sups, stews and casseroles to enrich and boost nutrition.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Making the Pork Pie Jelly

Dust a Pork Pie Dolly or an upturned glass with flour, then mould the warm pastry into an even layer with your hands.&nbsp;There should be a small overhang to seal the lid on, and you don't want any gaps or splits.

Repeat with the remaining dough. carefully remove the pastry from the glass, and tie a strip of folded baking paper around the 'belly' of the pie to help hold it up.&nbsp;

Mix together the pork, sage, salt &amp; pepper. Carefully fill each pie with 1/3 of the mixture, pressing down as necessary and leaving the meat in a dome shape in the middle.

Divide the 'lid' pastry into as many pies as you are making, and roll each piece out into a circle.

Brush the overhang area with the beaten egg, and place the lids on.

Now seal the edges of the lids and body pastry together. You can simply press the pastry together firmly, or crimp it as in the pictures.

Using the tip of a sharp knife, pierce a hole in the pastry and twist the knife to make the hole round &amp; a little larger. This is where you will pour in your stock once baked, so the hole needs to be big enough to fit your funnel tip.

Making the Pie

Brush the pies generously all over with egg wash. The more egg used, the shinier the pies will be.

Bake the pies in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.&nbsp;Then reduce the oven to 160, and continue cooking for a further 50 minutes.

Halfway through the cooking time, take out of the oven, remove the baking paper sleeves if using, and brush again all over with egg wash. Return to the oven to finish cooking.

It is essential that pork reaches a minimum of 65 to be safe to consume.

Set the cooked pies to cool on the kitchen counter. When at room temperature, move to the fridge to let cool fully.

Baking the Pies

Take your cold pies and gently insert the tip of the funnel into the hole in the lid.

Pour your hot stock into the hole slowly. You don't want it to overflow so allow it time to soak down into all the gaps and crevices.

When the pies are full of stock, return them to the fridge to fully cool again. Do not cut into them until the stock has had plenty of time to solidify, preferably overnight.&nbsp;

When ready to eat, cut the pie into wedges to see your work of art, and enjoy!

Filling the Pies with Jellied Stock

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Raised pork pie

British Pork Pie recipe

Top 2 hand raised pie recipes from across the web

The most viewed hand raised pie recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Raised pork pie

British Pork Pie recipe

The most viewed hand raised pie recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine