Individual Pork Pies

There is nothing quite like a pork pie, eaten cold, with some Branston pickle or caramelised red onions, together with some salad or chips.  I checked out a few recipes and decided that I needed to amalgamate a few to get what I wanted.

I used a straight sided muffin tin to make my version, and it worked quite well.  

For those who are not familiar with pork pie they are made with a hot watercrust pastry, using lard as the shortening agent.

When the pies are cooked the last thing is to pour some liquid, infused with gelatine in the top to fill any gaps with a nice tasty jelly.

Ingredients:
150g lard
500g plain flour
400g minced pork
100g smoked bacon finely chopped
1 large onion, diced finely
1 tbsp Worcester Sauce
1 tsp mustard powder
300g stock, chicken or vegetable
2 small sheets of gelatine
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper to season to personal taste

Method:
Heat the oven to 180c/Gas Mark 4
Grease a straight-sided muffin tin, with loose bottoms
Mix the pork, bacon, onion, mustard powder and Worcester sauce in a bowl, using your hands to make sure it is well combined.  
Add salt and pepper 
Melt the lard with 200ml water, bring to the boil
With the flour in a bowl make a well and pour the lard/water mixture in
Mix until it has formed a dough.
Take one quarter of the dough and wrap in cling film.
Roll out the remaining dough and cut into  8 12-13 cm circles.
Place each circle, carefully, into 8 holes in the muffin pan lining the bottom and sides
Divide the pork mixture equally among the 8 lined holes of the muffin tin.
Roll out the clingfilm wrapped pastry and cut into 8 circles large enough to top each of the pies
Egg wash the top of the pie and the under side of the newly rolled tops.
Place the tops on the pie, pinching the edges together. 
Make a hole in the centre of each top, to allow steam to get out.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then remove from the muffin tin, placing on a baking tray.
Egg wash the tops and sides of each pie and return to the oven and cook for a further 25-30 minutes, until the pies are golden brown
Remove from the oven and as they cool soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes.
Heat the stock to boiling point
Strain the gelatine wring out to remove excess water.
Place the gelatine in the stock and stir until it is dissolved.
Using a funnel gently pour stock into the top of each pie, being sure not to let it overflow.
Allow to cool and settle, overnight is best.  Then they will be nice and firm and ready to eat.