I love anything British, and a pork pie is a traditional English meat pie that can be traced back to medieval times. It is usually served either at room temperature or cold and perfect as a snack or with a salad at lunch. I made a batch to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. It is easy to do – here is how I make them.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add 1 pound of ground pork, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Sauté until it is no longer pink and drain. Lower the heat and add 2 minced garlic cloves, ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves, several grates of fresh nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes then add a slurry made with ¾ cup of warmed chicken stock and 1 ½ teaspoons of cornstarch. Cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture is thickened. Remove from heat, add a handful of currants (optional), ¼ cup of minced parsley (optional) and allow to cool slightly.
Unroll 1 sheet of refrigerated pie crust onto a lightly floured board and cut out 7 2 ¾ circles. Save the scraps. Unroll another sheet of refrigerated pie crust and cut out 7 3 ½ inch circles. Combine both scraps and roll out to the same thickness as the circles. Then cut out as many equal numbers of the smaller and larger circles as you can.
Place the larger circles into the bottom of a muffin tin (you should have 8 or 9). Fill muffin cups with the reserved pork mixture – you may have some left over. Place a smaller circle on top of each of muffin cups and press a fork around the edges to seal. Brush the tops with an egg wash, cut a slit in the center of each pie and pop into a preheated 425-degree oven for 18 – 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow the pies to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.
You may want to put the kettle on and enjoy a cup of tea with this! I hope you try it. Enjoy!