Pork Pie

[iainpb]

Is it wrong to like pork pie? I try not to think of what's in them when i eat them, especially the origin of the meat. Does this undermine me as a foodie? I do find there is a gap in the market for high quality versions of snacks of this kind, spare the odd deli pork pie.

[Dave Hatfield]

If its wrong then I'm a terrible sinner and should be drummed out of the foodie corps.

I love pork pies especially those from a really good Yorkshire butcher. Hot out of the oven with the juices running down & I'm in heaven.

I'm seriously contemplating trying to make my own since you can't get an English style pork pie in France that I know of. There are pork pies here and they're good, but just not the same.

[iainpb]

I've been meaning for a while to make my own, at least then i have complete control over the ingredients and the quality of the meat. I've done it with sausage rolls in the past - tastes so much better with actual meat in them instead of that suspicious grey slurry. I've been sampling pork pies from multiple places trying to find the perfect pie - most shop ies just don't cut it - Dickenson Morris is one of the better ones as is the Waitrose won brand. Chandos Deli (a brand local to Bristol & Bath also make a fine pie)

[Peter the eater]

Is it wrong to like pork pie? I try not to think of what's in them when i eat them, especially the origin of the meat. Does this undermine me as a foodie? I do find there is a gap in the market for high quality versions of snacks of this kind, spare the odd deli pork pie.

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What's not to like about pork in pie form?

The best ones I've had were in the UK, although the British Butcher at Pete's Frootique here in Halifax are pretty damn good. The key is to get one fresh out of the oven. Day-old cold chicken or beef pies are fine -- pork pies not so much.

[handmc]

Pork Pie a sin? Wrong? impossible! Its pork, its pie what other proof do you need that God (pick yours) wants us to be happy?

[Anna N]

Jack showed us how to make one here!

When I get a chance to go home to England (not been for years) that's the first thing I ask my Sis to make sure I get! Oh man I do miss them so.

[muichoi]

Pork pies are things of beauty, as are sausage rolls. Curiously it's very easy to find a good pork pie and impossible to find a good sausage roll.

[Peter the eater]

Pork pies are things of beauty, as are sausage rolls. Curiously it's very easy to find a good pork pie and impossible to find a good sausage roll.

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Now you've got me wondering if I've ever had a truly good sausage roll.

[Kerry Beal]

Pork pies are things of beauty, as are sausage rolls. Curiously it's very easy to find a good pork pie and impossible to find a good sausage roll.

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Now you've got me wondering if I've ever had a truly good sausage roll.

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National Bakery used to make a darn fine sausage roll.

[prasantrin]

Come over to my house. I make a damn fine sausage roll. I can't, however, make pork pie. I may finally get around to it this winter, though. As soon as it cools down a bit more...

[Peter the eater]

Come over to my house.  I make a damn fine sausage roll.  I can't, however, make pork pie.  I may finally get around to it this winter, though.  As soon as it cools down a bit more...

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That's a lovely thought Rona, but you appear to be twelve time zones ahead so don't worry.

I would like someone to characterize for me: 1. a great pork pie and 2. a great sausage roll.

[iainpb]

I cheat a littile when making sausage rolls but they are good - i oven bake some good quality sausages and then let them cool, wrap them in puff pastry and return to the oven for half an hour or so.

Edited September 23, 2008 by iainpb (log)

[iainpb]

I would like someone to characterize for me: 1. a great pork pie and 2. a great sausage roll.

Pork Pie - Must be cold for me straight from the fridge, the colder the better. the pie should be about the size of my palm - just enough for one - with medium thickness shortcrust pastry and a generous filling of minced pork shoulder. The meat should be delicately seasoned - a little sage and some black pepper. Just a thin layer of the jelly.

Sausage Roll - crisp golden flaky pastry, a good quality sausage or sausage meat, plenty of seasoning and it must be piping hot!

Edited September 23, 2008 by iainpb (log)

[prasantrin]

Ditto with iainpb on the sausage roll characteristics. I would also, however, add that there should be no filler in the sausage. I've had some sausage rolls that I swear have some kind of filler in them, like bread crumbs, or flour, or some kind of ground rice. Ick!

I can't answer about the pork pie, because I haven't had a really good one, yet. At least not a really good British-style pork pie, but I have had a really good French pork pie, which was similar to what iainpb described, except I don't remember any jelly at all.

And my sausage roll is really just ground pork, penzey's breakfast sausage seasoning, lots of freshly ground pepper, and finely chopped shallots (or onions if I can't get shallots). I use some very good frozen puff pastry. Put a line of sausage (raw) down the middle of the puff pastry, roll, and bake somewhere around 400-450F. The pork juices that stick to the pastry and caramelize (I know they don't really caramelize, but I don't know what else to call it) are the best part!

[petite tête de chou]

Well, this gent seems to like his pork pies just fine.

The Great British Pork Pie, A fat bloke on his day off

[kruckley]

I like pork pies, pork pies with hard boiled eggs in them , sausage rolls and Cornish pasties - in that order.

I haven't been back to England for several years and this thread now has me desperate for all of these and lardy cake, thanks!

[onrushpam]

Ahh... fond memories, sadly never to be relived!

Freezing cold on the coursing fields at Altcar...

Breakfast was an egg sammie, prepared by Clarissa in the back of her truck.

At the break, we opened the boot and noshed on fabulous pork pie, acquired by friends from their butcher. We always followed it up with the friend's home made sloe gin. Then, we stomped our feet, pulled our hats down over our ears and went back to watching the awesome dogs and hares run!

Good times... long gone...

I've said I want my ashes scattered at Altcar, but I don't think it will happen...

[nakji]

Wait: I want to ask for clarification: a good sausage roll should have sausage meat, but not an actual sausage? If this is the case, I think I need to have real sausage roll, since it's clear I've never had a proper one.

My mother used to talk about Melton Mowbray pies as if they were some sort of religious relic, but I'm sure the last time she had one was in 1972. I'm not sure if she's tried the one at Pete's Frootique, I will have to recommend it to her.

[prasantrin]

Wait: I want to ask for clarification: a good sausage roll should have sausage meat, but not an actual sausage? If this is the case, I think I need to have real sausage roll, since it's clear I've never had a proper one.

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A roll with a sausage is pigs in a blanket, but a roll with sausage meat is a sausage roll.

To me, the other difference is in the pastry. Sausage roll pastry is more like puff pastry.

Starbucks in Japan has real sausage rolls, but they're not very good (in my opinion).

[the_nomad]

I tend to think that anything involving minced meat depends entirely on your source. A good pork pie is stunning, a bad one invites epic fail on a spectacular scale - and with a good, traceably-sourced one, you know you're not eating Unfortunate Pig Bits too.

FWIW, if you're in Scotland ever, North Country Lass at the Edinburgh Farmer's Market does a beautiful pie, and an equally stunning cornish pastie. They have sausage rolls, too (yep, that's sausage meat in pastry in a roll form), but I've not tried them.

[LittleChef22]

I have never tried to make it, but my boyfriend loves them. Is it hard to make?

[terryturbojr]

I have never tried to make it, but my boyfriend loves them.  Is it hard to make?

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I made my first pork pie about a fortnight ago.

I stuck it on my blog, although not the step by step instructions linked too above.

http://cookingthebooks.typepad.com/cooking...y-pork-pie.html

It worked well (outside of a bit soft pastry dough prior to cooking) and everyone that had it said it was a fine example.

[brassica]

one thing that is essential in both things is some crunch/crisp. A good sausage roll's bottom side will be flattened and the puff pastry will have crisped up in the juices that have run out of the meat. Likewise, on a pork pie,, a hot water crust will give you a crisp casing but the bottom again will be crunchy and, when cold, you can always tell a good pork pie, as it should have a little dab of grease where the baker pout it to stop it sticking.

Unfortunately, in a previous job, I also saw factory ones being made........yet I still eat them.