There is a fabulous butchery chain in North Yorkshire called Newboulds who make the best pork pies on the planet, especially their Midgets. These are mini pork pies and I loved these growing up in Redcar, I still buy some when I’m up visiting friends and family. With this in mind I’ve tried to recreate them and make them a little healthier too. The hot water crust pastry is delicious and very easy to make and handle as long as you make sure it’s still hot when you roll it out.
Ingredients: 12 mini pies
800g lean pork mince
1 large brown onion, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and black pepper to season
Pastry:
200g lard or Trex
750g plain flour plus a little extra
2 teaspoons salt
butter or oil for greasing
1 egg, beaten
How to make mini pork pies … WASH YOUR HANDS
- Preheat the oven to 180c/gas 4.
- Finely chop the onion or use the food processor. Place the pork mince, onion, nutmeg, mustard powder and Worcestershire sauce in the food processor, add a little salt and pepper, and process briefly to chop finely and combine. Wash the bowl of the food processor.
- Make the pastry – place the lard or trex and 250ml of water to the boil in a small saucepan. Sieve the flour into a bowl and then tip into the food processor along with the salt. Start up the processor and pour in the hot lard and water, keep the processor running until the mixture turns in to a smooth dough.
- Remove two thirds of the dough, place the remaining third in a bowl and cover with a tea towel or clingfilm to keep it warm.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out the larger piece of dough to around 2-3mm thick, you need to work quickly as it’s easier to work this dough when it’s warm. Use the 11cm cutter to cut out 12 discs.
- Grease a muffin tin and line each hole with a disc of pastry, use your fingers to press the pastry into the cavity and leave a slight overhang at the top, the pastry is quite workable and should be easy to stretch.
- Divide the filling between the pastry-lined holes, pressing it into the holes to fill them up.
- Roll out the remaining pastry and cut 12 x 8cm discs, brush the edges of the filled pastry with a little beaten egg, put the lids on and pinch the edges together the seal, brush with the beaten egg. Keep the rest of the beaten egg for later
- Ask an adult to put the muffin tray into the oven and bake for 25-30 mins. AGA roasting oven: on oven floor for 15-20 mins. Ask an adult to remove the tray, turn the oven up to 200c/gas 6 and leave the pies to cool for 5 minutes.
- Gently remove all the pies, transfer to a baking tray, brush the sides with the remaining beaten egg and ask an adult to put them back into the oven for 20-25 minutes, AGA roasting oven on bottom set of runners for 5-10 mins, until the sides are set and the tops are a deep golden-brown colour. Leave to cool and eat with the homemade ketchup