Perfect Pork Pies

Cook’s Tips: You can use pork sausages instead of sausagemeat – just remove their skins. The cooled cooked pies will keep in the fridge for 3- 4 days.

Is there a dad who doesn’t love a proper pork pie? Yum!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

◆ 450g plain flour

◆ 1tsp salt

◆ 100g white vegetable fat

(Trex)

◆ 200ml water

◆ 400g pork sausagemeat ◆ 400g pork shoulder or belly, chopped

(rind removed)

◆ 1 small onion,

finely chopped

◆ ½tsp ground mixed spice ◆ 2tsp mixed dried herbs

◆ Salt and freshly ground

black pepper

◆ Beaten egg, to glaze

◆ Piccalilli, to serve

1

Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Melt the vegetable fat and water in a saucepan, then bring to the boil. Pour into the well and beat with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough. Cool a little, then knead until smooth. Cover and rest for 20min.

2Mix together the sausagemeat, pork, onion, mixed spice and dried herbs. Season well. Shape into 4 thick patties about

8cm in diameter.

3

Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6.

4

Roll out a quarter of the pastry on a floured surface and cut out four lids the same diameter as the patties. Shape the remaining pastry into 4 balls, then roll out into 4 circles about 16cm in diameter. Dampen the edges with water, place a pork patty on top of each, and a pastry lid on top. Bring up the pastry around the sides of the meat with your hands, folding to fit and sealing with the lids.

Place the pies on a baking sheet, brush with beaten egg and bake for 1 hour until golden. Cool and serve with piccalilli.

5