Pork and Apple Pies

Meat pies have long been a staple in British kitchens and pubs.  The practice of encasing meats in pastry while roasting to keep the juices in was introduced in the middle ages, though at first, the pastry was discarded before serving.  It wasn't long, however, before chefs realized that leaving the meat in the pastry was delicious too, and they quickly started adding gravy, vegetables, and herbs.  Those pies, served hot or cold, have graced the table at many royal banquets throughout the centuries, and were often eaten by commoners as an easy on-the-go meal.

These are not at all the traditional English Melton Mowbray pork pie.  Those pies, popularized as "fast food" in the eighteenth century and comprised of a hot water pastry shell filled with pork and gelatin, looked like far more effort than I felt like expending on my day off, and require things like pig's feet not easy to find in the Denver area.  I've never even attempted hot water pastry, and didn't feel like trying to find lard at the grocery store.

So instead I improvised.  Using the French-style tart dough I use for all my fruit pies, the granny smith apples I had in the fridge, an onion, some diced pork, and a few slices of bacon, I concocted what I hoped would be a nice, hot dinner for a cold and rainy evening.  And they turned out wonderfully!  The apple, onion, and sage complimented the pork perfectly, and they were wonderful hot out of the oven and cold later in the evening!

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 6 tbs butter
• 1 cup AP flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 egg

For the Filling:

• 1/2 lb diced pork
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 granny smith apple
• 5 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 tbs chopped fresh sage
• 1 cup chicken or veggie stock
• 2 tbs flour
• pinch of mustard powder
• pinch of garlic powder
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

First, make the crust*.  Cube the butter, and combine with flour in a medium bowl.  When dough forms a craggy ball, add water a little at a time until a smooth dough is formed.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Next, make the filling.  Cut the pork into 1" pieces, and cut the bacon into small pieces.  Dice the apple and chop the onion and sage.  In a large bowl, combine flour, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.  Toss the meat in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan.  Place the meat in the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring periodically, until it begins to cook, about 6 minutes.  Add the onion, apple, and sage and continue to cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.  Add salt and pepper as desired.  Transfer to a large heatproof bowl, and set aside.

Add the chicken broth to the frying pan over medium heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.  This will collect any caramelized meat juices and sediment left over in the pan.  While the broth is cooking, preheat oven to 350F.  Divide the pie filling between 6 ramekins.  Once the broth has mostly evaporated, pour it over the filling in the ramekins.

Divide the crust into 6 golfball sized pieces.  Roll each one out and place it on top of one of the pies.  Make an egg wash by beating the egg with a little water, and brush this over the top of each pie.  Cut a small vent in the middle of each crust, and place pies in the preheated oven.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, then lower the oven temp to 325F for a further 45 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

*If making pie crust isn't something you really want to do, you could just as easily use store-bought puff pastry, cut to fit your pie dishes.