Pork Pies and Puddings

Often veered away from here in the states, savory pies are a cornerstone of English cuisine. You can always use store-bought pie crust to make life easier on yourself, but I personally think making your own adds to the charm of the finished product. This week I took on the grand dame of meat pies - the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie. I still had some seasoned pork leftover after making the pies so I put on my resourceful hat and drummed up a white pudding dish for Sunday brunch. Bits and bobs below!

Melton Mowbray Pork Pie

Ok I’m going to be straight with you - these pies are eaten cold. And there’s gelatin in them. And they take 2 days to make. Still with me? Fabulous. On the bright side, the result is a firm pastry with a salty pork interior that is stunning with English mustard.

A Melton Mowbray Pork Pie is the champagne of meat pies - it’s only a Melton Mowbray if you’re IN Melton Mowbray, Leicester. These pies are made with a hot-water crust so you can bake them freestanding if desired as they are so structurally sound. Since this was my first time making them, I opted to use a muffin tin for an assist. The firm nature of this crust is also why they are eaten cold or at room-temperature. Laborers could bring them to work for a mid-day meal without fear of the pie being crushed. Open up a jar of Coleman’s, pour yourself a dark ale and have at it, friends!

For the Hot-water Crust: 

1 c all-purpose flour

1 pinch kosher salt

1/8 c shortening

1/8 c whole milk

1/8 c water

Flour for dusting

Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Place the shortening, milk, and water in a saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. Stir and pour into the bowl with dry ingredients. Mix well. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Form the dough into a ball, dust with flour, and knead for 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes. 

For the Pork Filling:

1 pound pork shoulder, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

3 slices bacon, diced

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 anchovy fillet, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 c pork stock or broth, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

1/2 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

English mustard, for serving

Combine pork, bacon, sage, anchovy, and allspice in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/8 c of pork stock and mix well. Test the pork seasoning by boiling a small amount of water and cooking 1 teaspoon of the pork mixture in it. Season with salt and pepper as needed.  

Pie Assembly:
Preheat oven to 400°F

Cut off 3/4 of the dough and place on a floured surface. Roll it out until 1/8-inch thick. For the bottom crust: cut out 4-inch circles. Place the dough circles in the muffin tin (if using) and press the dough into bottom and sides of cup. For the top crust: Roll out remaining dough and cut out 3-inch circles. 

Fill the bottom crust up to the muffin tin rim. Fold any excess dough from sides onto top of filling. Place the top crusts onto filling and press down or crimp to seal. Cut a small hole in the center of each pie (large enough for a funnel tip). If desired, roll out remainder of dough and cut out designs to decorate top of crust.

Brush top of each pie with the beaten egg. Bake the pies for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 90 minutes. Remove pies from the oven, brush with beaten egg again, and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove and let cool in pan (if using). 

Bring the remaining stock to a boil. Remove from heat, add gelatin, and stir to dissolve. Using a funnel, spoon the stock into the hole in each pie. Make sure you’re using an even amount in each pie until the stock is completely used up. 

Chill overnight

Remove pies from pan and serve with English mustard.

*4 pies (~2 servings)

White Pudding

The leftover pork pie mix is perfect as a base for white pudding. No animal casings or grinder? No problem! I briefly froze the meat, used a food processor to grind it, and rolled up the finished mix in plastic wrap. It’s a little more difficult to slice and fry than a typical white pudding in a casing, but it’s an easy and passable substitution!

1/2 lb pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 slice bacon, diced

3/4 c steel-cut oats, soaked in equal part water overnight

1 shallot, diced

1/2 c breadcrumbs

1/2 tablespoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Freeze the diced pork shoulder and bacon for 45 minutes. Once firm, blend in a food processor until it resembles ground meat.

In a large bowl, mix the meat with the rest of the ingredients.

Put 1/3 of the mixture onto a square of plastic wrap. Roll tightly and tie off the ends so that it resembles a sausage. Repeat two more times with the remaining mixture. Put the meat rolls on a baking sheet and refrigerate overnight.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and poach the sausage rolls for 20 minutes. The mixture should become more firm and slightly darken in color. Take out of the water and rest on a cutting board.

Once cool, remove the plastic wrap from each roll, and with a sharp knife, slice into 1/2-inch rounds.

Fry slices over medium heat until golden brown on each side, ~5 min total.

*3-4 servings