Recipe: Melton Mowbray Meat Pie (2)

Hi,

Hope one of the following recipes helps. I think the second recipe is probably your best bet. The anchovy essence, probably can be replaced with anchovy paste or Worcestershire sauce.

Melton Mowbray Pie
Servings: 20

1 lb pork shoulder, cubed
1 lb veal shoulder, cubed
1 lb ham (uncooked),cubed
2 tb Worcestershire sauce
1 ts thyme
1/2 ts sage
1/2 ts salt
1/4 ts pepper
2 sm onions, chopped fine
4 eggs, hard cooked, halved
3 pkgs gelatin, unflavoured
2 c canned bouillon

pie pastry
cream

Cut meat in 1/2" cubes, mix with Worcestershire sauce, onion and seasonings. Make pastry and roll out 1/4" thin. Line a 9x5 loaf pan. Spoon half of meat mixture into shell. Place 4 eggs in a line down center and top with remaining meat mixture. Top with a crust, and decorate with pastry as desired. Make 2 holes to allow steam to vent and for later additions. Brush pastry with cream and bake at 375 F about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 F and bake for 1 1/2 hours longer or until meat is tender.

Mix gelatin as package directs with bouillon. Pour into holes in top of lid until you can see the liquid. Top up until it no longer goes down. Allow to cool then, store in the refrigerator. Serve in 1/2" slices as an appetizer.

Melton Mowbray Meatpie 2
Serves 8

Plain flour - 450g (1 lb)
Egg yolk - 1
Lard - 175g (6 oz), diced
Milk - 100ml (4 fl oz)
Lean pork - 900g (2 lb), cut into 1/2 cm (1/4 inch) dice
Bacon rashers - 3, finely diced
Fresh sage - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Fresh thyme - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Anchovy essence - 1 tsp
Ground mace - 1/2 tsp
Ground allspice - 1/2 tsp
Chicken stock - 600ml (1 pint)
Egg, 1, beaten, to glaze
Gelatine - 15g (1/2 oz)

Warm a mixing bowl and sieve the flour into it. make a well in the centre and add the egg yolk.

Gently heat the lard in the milk until it has melted, then bring rapidly to the boil. Pour immediately into the well in the flour and draw the ingredients together with a wooden spoon to form a soft, pliable but not sticky ball of dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rest in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6.

Mix together the pork, bacon, herbs, anchovy essence and spices. Moisten with 3 tablespoons of the stock.

Roll out two thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface and mould round a 1.1 kg (2 lb) floured straight sided jam jar, or line a raised pie mould or drop-sided terrine. If using a jar, leave the pastry to set on a baking sheet, then gently ease out the jar.

Pack the meat mixture into the pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid for the pie. Press the edges together tightly to seal. Scallop the edges and decorate with pastry leaves. Cut a hole in the centre of the lid. Tie a double thickness of buttered greaseproof paper around the outside of the pie if formed using a jam jar. Brush the top with beaten egg. Place on a baking sheet if using a mould or terrine.

Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180 C / 350 F / Gas 4 and bake for a further 2 1/4 hours. Remove the mould or greaseproof paper, brush the sides and top with egg and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, until well browned. Remove from the oven, leave until almost cold.

Heat the stock in a saucepan and sprinkle in the gelatine. Stir briskly until dissolved. Leave to cool slightly. Pour liquid through the hole in the pastry lid. Leave in a cool place overnight. Serve cut in thick slices.