Easy Mini Pork Pies Recipe

Easy mini pork pies with hot water crust pastry, made in a muffin tray with supermarket pork mince.

Ingredients

• Mini pork pie pastry ingredients (hot water crust pastry)
• 200g plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 90ml water
• 50g lard
• 45g unsalted butter
• Mini pork pie filling ingredients
• 500g pork mince
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 small egg for egg wash

Method

1. Method for making the mini pork pie pastry
2. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl and mix them together.
3. Add the water to a small saucepan on low heat, add the lard and butter, and bring to a simmer.
4. When the lard and butter have melted, pour the liquid onto the flour in the bowl and mix.
5. Flour your work surface and turn out the contents of the bowl.
6. Knead the dough gently until it is all mixed together.
7. Place the dough in a plastic bag or cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and remove just before making your pies. You can also make the dough the day before. If you have done this, remove it from the fridge 1 hour before use.
8. Making the mini pork pies
9. Add all the pie-filling ingredients into a bowl and mix with your hands for a few minutes.
10. Divide the meat into 8 equal parts. Best to use digital scales for evenness.
11. Make your egg wash by whisking a small egg.
12. Grease your muffin baking tray with butter.
13. Roll the pastry out to 3mm thickness and cut out 8x 12cm circles for the pie bases and 8x 6cm circles for the pie lids.
14. Place the pie bases into the muffin tray cups and gently press the pastry into the bases of the cups.
15. Place the divided meat portions into each pie base and gently press the meat down into the pastry cups to remove any trapped air.
16. Now preheat your oven to 170°C (150°C fan).
17. Brush the egg wash around the edge of the pie bases. Avoid getting the egg wash between the pastry and the baking tray, or the pie will stick during baking.
18. Place the pie lids on top of the meat and gently press down. Then, crimp the pie base and lid together using your fingers and thumb to form a sealed pie.
19. Cut 2 vent slits in the pie lid with a sharp knife.
20. Coat each pie with egg wash, and again, take care not to get the egg wash between the pie and the baking tray to avoid the pie sticking during baking.
21. Place the muffin tray in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. The pastry should be golden and juices bubbling through the vents.
22. When baking time is up, place the muffin tray on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the pies.