Pork Dinner Pies

Pork dinner pies can refer to several different dishes, most notably the traditional British pork pie (typically served cold as part of a meal or snack) and North American style pork pot pies (served hot with gravy and a flaky top crust). A prominent variation is the French Canadian Tourtière, a spiced meat pie often enjoyed at holidays.

Traditional British Pork Pie:

The classic British pork pie is distinct for its robust, free-standing, hot water crust pastry shell and is generally served at room temperature or cold.

• Pastry: A sturdy, dense hot water crust pastry, made from flour, lard, salt and boiling water, which becomes mouldable when warm and firm when cool.
• Filling: Seasoned, uncured pork meat (often a mixture of minced and roughly chopped shoulder and belly), a layer of savoury jelly made from pork or chicken stock (added after baking to fill air gaps and preserve the meat) and sometimes other ingredients like bacon or black pudding.
• Varieties: The famous Melton Mowbray pork pie has Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, meaning it must be made in a specific region with fresh, uncured, chopped pork and baked free-standing, giving it a natural grey colour and slightly bowed sides. Other regional variations may include additions like pickled onions or different spices.
• Serving: Though traditionally a portable meal for laborers or a picnic item, it is often enjoyed as part of a hearty dinner with accompaniments like pickled onions, Branston pickle, or brown sauce.

Other Pork Dinner Pies:

• Pork Pot Pie: A different concept, this is a hot dish with a flaky top crust (or sometimes a double crust) filled with a mixture of pork (often leftover roast pork), vegetables like potatoes, carrots and peas and a rich, creamy gravy. This is similar to the typical American meat pie.
• Tourtière: A traditional French Canadian meat pie made with ground pork and sometimes beef, mixed with mashed potatoes and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves. It is often a Christmas or New Year's Eve specialty and is served warm with ketchup or mustard.
• Fidget Pie: A historical variation from the Midlands of England, featuring layers of pork, gammon or ham with apples, sometimes potatoes and lightly sweetened with sugar.
• Pork pies are a versatile dish, ranging from a cold, seasoned snack to a hot, comforting main course depending on the culinary tradition.