When we make Pork Pies, we follow this 8 steps:
1. Preparing the Hot Water Crust Pastry
We create a firm, pliable pastry is made using flour, hot water, and lard. As the hot liquid melts the fat and creates a dough that is both strong and flexible while still warm—ideal for us to shape by hand around the wooden dolly.
2. Shaping Around the Wooden Mould
A seasoned wooden dolly is slightly tapered in shape and is dusted with flour to prevent sticking. A ball of warm pastry is then pressed and moulded evenly around the dolly by hand, working from the base upward.
- The pastry is carefully smoothed to an even thickness
- The aim is to create a sturdy, freestanding shell
- The top edge is left open to allow for filling
This step is entirely manual and requires practice to achieve consistent wall thickness.
3. Removing the Dolly
Once the pastry has set slightly—firm enough to hold its shape—the wooden mould is gently withdrawn. This leaves a hollow pastry case that will stand upright on its own.
4. Filling the Pie
The cavity is packed tightly (though not that crammed that we cannot add the Jelly) with best quality chopped seasoned pork shoulder rather than minced to retain texture. The meat is slightly heaped, as it will shrink during cooking.
5. Adding the Lid and Crimping
A pastry lid is placed on top and sealed to the sides. The edge is crimped by hand, both to secure the filling and to create the pie’s characteristic decorative finish. We leave a small hole is usually left in the top.
6. Baking
The pies are baked until the pastry is golden and the pork is fully cooked. As the meat shrinks, it leaves a gap between the filling and the pastry.
7. Adding Jelly
Once cooled slightly, a savoury stock-based jelly with gelatin is poured through the hole in the lid. This fills the gap, preserves moisture, and enhances flavour.
8. Cooling and Setting
The pies are left to cool completely, allowing the jelly to set and the pastry to firm up, resulting in the finished product.
Traditional Significance
We use a wooden mould is part of an age-old technique that predates modern tins. It reflects the craftsmanship of artisan pie-making, where skill and touch determine the final product rather than machinery.
Alternatively – Baking Tins
If we require several Pork Pies, we do use baking tins where steps 2 & 3 above are replaced by:
2. Shaping the Pastry in a Tin
Instead of being formed by hand around a wooden dolly, the warm hot water crust pastry is weighed out pressed directly into a metal pie tin, which provides structure and consistency.
- The pastry is carefully worked into the base and up the sides of the tin by hand
- Gentle, even pressure ensures a uniform thickness throughout
- The tin supports the pastry, helping it hold its shape without the need for freestanding structure
This method offers greater uniformity and is often used for larger-scale or more consistent production.
3. Preparing the Case for Filling
Once the pastry is fully shaped inside the tin, it remains in place to support the filling and throughout the baking process.
- There is no need to remove a mould, as the tin acts as a permanent support
- The pastry case is checked for consistency and any excess is trimmed from the rim
- The open-top shell is now ready to be filled with seasoned pork