Marthas Perfect Pork Pies Recipes

PORK PIE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until fat begins to render, about 2 minutes. Add ground pork and cook, breaking it up into bite-size pieces, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Return skillet to medium-high; swirl in oil. Add onion, garlic, and celery; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and brown in spots, 7 to 9 minutes. Return pork mixture and any accumulated juices to skillet. Stir in potato, broth, cinnamon, and clove; season with pepper. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until broth is mostly evaporated, 25 to 28 minutes.
• Transfer pork mixture to a bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Lightly beat 1 egg; stir into pork mixture with parsley.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with racks in center and lowest positions. Roll out one disk of dough to an 11-inch round on a work surface dusted with flour. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate; trim edges to a 1/2-inch overhang. Transfer pork mixture to pie shell. Roll remaining dough to an 11-inch round and center over filling. Trim edges to a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold edges of top crust under edges of bottom crust, tucking dough until flush with edge of pie plate. Crimp edges with the tines of a fork. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. Beat remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush crust with egg wash, then cut a few vents in top of crust.
• Bake the chilled pie on the center rack with a rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack (to catch any drips) until crust is golden brown and filling bubbles slightly through vents, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before slicing. Serve with mustard and cornichons.

INDIVIDUAL PORK POTPIES

Steps:

• Make the stew: Season pork with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large, heavy pot over high heat for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Working in batches, brown pork on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes total per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork to a large bowl. (Reduce heat slightly if bottom of pot is getting too dark; you want browned, not burned, bits for flavoring the stew. Either wipe out pot or deglaze with water, bringing it to a boil and scraping up burned bits. Pour off liquid, add more oil, and proceed.)
• Add carrot, celery, and onion to drippings in pot. Add 1/4 cup wine, and stir, scraping up any browned bits from bottom, until wine is evaporated. Cook for 3 minutes more, then add remaining 2 1/4 cups wine. Cook, stirring often, until reduced by half, 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk caraway seeds, mustard, flour, and 1/2 cup stock in a small bowl, then whisk into pot. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring often, for 30 seconds.
• Stir in remaining 3 1/2 cups stock. Add pork, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until pork is fork-tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Finish the pies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, working with 1 sheet of puff pastry at a time, roll out each to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 3 1/2-inch fluted round cutter, cut out 12 circles, and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut out shapes from center of each round using a 1-inch snowflake cutter if desired. (Alternatively, make a wreath: Using a 1 1/2-inch leaf cutter, cut leaves from dough. Brush with egg, and form into wreath shapes about 3 1/2 inches in diameter, using 10 leaves per wreath. Save 1 leaf to place in center.) Brush with egg, then freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake puff pastry rounds until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add remaining vegetables to pork mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are just tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley and thyme. Divide among twelve 7-ounce ramekins. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Place 1 puff pastry round on each ramekin. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until pastry is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

CAPE BRETON 'PORK' PIES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Tart shells: Sift together flour and 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Cut in 1 cup butter; knead until well blended. Form dough into 3/4 inch balls. Press evenly into 1 1/2 inch tart cups on the bottom and up the sides to form a shell.
• Bake in preheated oven until pale gold, about 16 minutes. Let shells cool in the pan. Gently loosen and remove them from pan using a knife.
• Filling: Combine dates, water, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil gently for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Mash dates with a fork as they cook. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Allow mixture to cool before spooning into tart shells.
• Icing: Cream 1/4 cup butter in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar while continuing to mix. Add the milk, remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, and maple extract. Beat at high speed until smooth. Icing should be thick enough to pipe. Spoon mixture into pastry bag with a small round or star-shaped tip. Pipe a swirl of icing on each tart.

PORK PIE

Steps:

• For the double crust leaf lard pastry: In a bowl, mix the flour and salt together with 2 knives. Cut in the lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture, a spoonful at a time, stirring with a fork and adding just enough water so it holds together. Shape into a ball, press into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
• For the pork filling: Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp; remove to a plate. Add the pork and a pinch of salt and brown for 2 minutes; remove to a plate. Add the potatoes, celery, celery leaves, parsley, savory, garlic and onions and sweat for 3 to 5 minutes. Deglaze the skillet with 1 cup of water, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the pork and bacon back to the skillet with the cinnamon, cloves and a large pinch of salt, and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, 20 minutes.
• While the mixture is simmering, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the chilled pastry into two 13-inch rounds for a 10-inch double-crust pie, or into one 14-inch round for a single-crust pie. If using the double-crust method, line a 10-inch pie plate with one of the pastry rounds and fill with the meat mixture; cover with the remaining pastry. Trim and crimp the edges to seal, and cut small steam vents. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolk and milk mixture. If using the single-crust method, place the meat mixture in a 10-inch pie plate and cover with the single pastry round. Trim, press the edges into the sides of the pan and cut small steam vents in the center. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolk and milk mixture. Bake until the crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes and serve warm.

MARTHA'S PERFECT PORK PIES

Steps:

• For Pork Filling: In a dutch oven or soup pot, Boil together 1/4 cup water, 2 lbs. pork,{ break it up } 1/2 cup chopped onion,1/2 teaspoons pepper,1 teaspoons salt,2 teaspoons allspice, 1 teaspoons nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves.
• Boil together till pork is cooked { no longer pink} & water is absorbed.
• ADD COOLED MASHED POTATOES. MIX TOGETHER.
• While pork is cooking, MAKE CRUST: Mix flour & salt together.
• Blend in Crisco with a pastry blender or a fork. {I use a fork}.
• Blend till crumbly {pea size}.
• Mix in ICE COLD water till dough forms.
• Cut in half evenly.
• ROLL out each piece on a WELL FLOURED surface.
• Place one crust in a 9" pie pan.
• Fill with 1/2 of pork mixture.
• Place other crust on top of filled pie.
• Pinch edges all the way around to seal crust.
• Brush egg wash on top of crust.
• BAKE 400* about 30 minutes or till golden brown.

MARTHA WHITE'S PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt; mix well.
• With pastry blender or fork, cut in half of shortening until mixture is fine and mealy.
• Cut in remaining shortening until mixture is consistency of small peas.
• Sprinkle water over mixture; stir gently with fork until dough leaves sides of bowl.
• If some dry particles remain in bottom of bowl, sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon water; continue to stir with fork until particles are worked into dough.
• Mixture should be moist enough to form a ball, but should not be sticky.
• Shape dough into 1 or 2 balls (depending on one- or two-crust); flatten to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges.
• On floured surface, roll out dough to 11-inch round.
• Carefully roll dough around rolling pin; unroll unto 9-inch pie pan, or 9- or 10-inch tart pan; Fit evenly into pan; do not stretch.
• For one-crust baked pie shell (unfilled): Heat oven to 475F; Prick bottom and sides of pastry generously with fork; Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown; Cool on wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cooled.
• Continue as directed in pie recipe.
• For Two-Crust Pie: 2 cups Martha White All Purpose Flour 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup shortening 4 1/2 to 5 tablespoons cold water.

PORK-AND-GREENS SKILLET PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a cast-iron skillet, cook pork over medium, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add onion and Swiss chard stems, increase heat to medium-high, and saute until translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard leaves and cook until wilted, 2 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons cornmeal, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook until liquid thickens, stirring occasionally, about 14 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
• In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Whisk in remaining 3/4 cup cornmeal and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, and spoon over pork and greens. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, transfer to oven, and bake 20 minutes. Heat broiler and broil until top is golden brown and mixture is bubbling at edge, 2 minutes.