Big Rays Pork Pie Recipes

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.

RAISED PORK PIE

Steps:

• 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 pork pie video for techniques and tips.