Melton Mowbray Pork Pie

Directions

Mix the meat, salt, pepper, herbs and spices and set aside.

To make the stock, boil bones, onions, bay leaf, herbs salt and pepper in 4 cups of water for two hours or until the liquid is reduced to 2⅓ cups.

Cool, degrease and refrigerate until it starts to jell.

To make the pastry, rub 2 oz of the lard into the flour mixed with a teaspoon of salt until it is the consistency of breadcrumbs.

Boil the rest of the fat with the milk and water.

Make a well in the mound of flour and while stirring with a wooden spoon, mix in the boiling liquid.

Knead and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

To make the casing, roll out three-quarters of the dough into a circle ¾ inch thick.

Flour the outside of the tin and stand it in the centre of the dough.

Work the dough up the sides of the tin and then gently remove the tin leaving you with a pie casing.

Fill it immediately with the meat mixture as it is likely to collapse.

Roll out the remaining dough into a circle slightly larger than the diameter of the casing, to form the lid.

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).

Dampen the top edge of the pie and gently press on the lid.

Crimp the edge.

Make a hole in the centre of the lid and decorate it with pastry leaves.

Place on a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat to 300℉ (150℃) and bake for 1 ¾ hours.

If necessary place some aluminim foil on the top to prevent burning.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Pour the chilled stock through the hole in the lid and refrigerate Serve Cold.