| Melton Mowbray Pie is a traditional
Mediaeval English receipt. Originally, a pork shoulder was used. The fat
was heated and the grease used in making the crust. The bones and
gristle were boiled with spices to make the gelatin.
However, this is a lot of work, and with boneless pork loin and smoked pork or ham selling for $1.50 to $2.00 Cdn. per pound (as of December 2005), we use the easier method shown on this page. |
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| 1 cup lard
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. salt 2 1/2 water |
Bring the lard, water and salt
to a boil. Ensure the lard is fully melted, then slowly add 5 cups of flour
while stirring. Add more flour if necessary and stir until consistent;
it should form a somewhat greasy looking ball. Knead until perfectly smooth.
Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place for half an hour then knead again for two minutes. |
| 3 1/2
lb boneless pork loin
2 1/2 lb smoked pork or ham 2 onions, minced 2 Tbsp. sage 2 Tbsp. pepper 1 tsp. salt |
Trim fat from pork and cut into half inch
pieces. Mix in onion and spices. If using a pork shoulder or leg, remove
bones, gristle and any stringy parts. Pork shoulder or leg works fine,
but there is more work involved in trimming.
You should have about 5 lb total of meat. |
| 1 egg
1 Tbsp. milk 1/2 water 1 tsp. thyme 1/2 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. pepper 1 Tbsp. gelatin (1 envelope) |
Roll out 2/3 of the dough and
line a 10 inch spring form pan. Fill with meat mixture. Roll out remaining
dough and arrange the top crust so that the you overlap the crust lining
the pan. Moisten edges and crimp securely.
Make a hole in the centre of the crust and bake for 3 hours at 325°F. About half an hour before removing the pie from the oven, brush the top crust with with a beaten egg mixed with a tablespoon of milk. A half hour or so after removing the pie from the oven, bring water and spices to a boil. Remove from heat, and whisk in the gelatin powder. Do not boil the gelatin. Pour this mixture into the centre hole of the pie. |
| Refrigerate the pie for at least 12 hours.
Remove from pan and enjoy! This is good served as a meal
or snack with chili sauce.
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