Why, these are delicious! We must order some for Clyvedon.
Daphne Bridgerton, Season 1, Episode 6
I didn’t grow up eating or knowing much about British standing meat pies. I was already a full grown adult when I started to discover and learn more about various dishes and that’s when I found out about this amazing dish. Since starting this blog, I’ve made quite a few meat pies and it honestly is one of my favorite things. So, when I saw the meat pies in episode 6 of Bridgerton, I knew I had to make it.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to go on. In episode 6, Daphne briefly mentioned how delicious it was and we get a quick glimpse of the pies. They were so beautifully made and was a clear indication of much practice I still need to work on to get the perfect pie. I couldn’t identify what the fillings were but we do see some leaf designs with some various shapes. I decided on a pork filling as the village was known for their high quality pigs. The recipe for the standing crust comes from the 1747 cookbook, The Art of Cookery.
I only used diced pork loin in this recipe, however, you can substitute some of that with fattier cuts of meat, if you prefer. Also, make sure not to skip the jelly as it will help keep the pie moist especially since we are using such a lean cut of meat. After an hour of baking, the pie might not be as golden brown as preferred so to get the golden color I have in the photos, I actually place the pies in a toaster oven for a few minutes and it came out beautiful without drying out the center.
Bridgerton: Pork Meat Pies
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 pound all purpose flour
- 6.8 ounces unsalted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 ounces water
Pork Filling
- 20 ounces diced pork loin small dice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dried sage
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Egg Wash
- 1 large whole egg whisked
Jelly
- 14.5 ounces chicken stock 1 can
- 12 grams powdered gelatin
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add the water, salt and, butter. Bring to a boil and add the flour. Turn the heat down low and stir until the mixture comes together in a ball of dough. Let the dough cool down to room temperature before continuing.
- In a bowl, combine your diced pork, salt, pepper, thyme, sage, and nutmeg. Stir until combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment and set aside.
- On a generously floured surface, knead your dough for a few seconds until you get a smooth dough. Set aside 200g of the dough and divide the rest into 6 equal pieces.
- I don't have a standing pie mold so I used a mason jar to mold each pie. Press or roll each ball of dough into flat discs. Generously flour the ball of dough and the mold and gently but firmly press the dough up the sides of the mold. Make sure the crust is even. If there is excess dough, slice it off and set aside.
- Remove the mold and place the crust on the prepared sheetpan. If you're finding the dough too soft to manage, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Fill each pie with the pork filling. Make sure not to pack the meat in as we will need room for the jelly later on. Repeat this with the rest of the dough.
- Roll out the 200g gram ball of dough and cut out circles to make the lids for each pie. Top each pie with the lid and crimp the edges together to seal it closed. Cut a hole in the center of each pie.
- With the excess dough, roll it out again and cut out small leaves to decorate the pies with. Adhere each piece with a dab of the whisked egg. After placing on all the leaves, brush the egg all over the pie and bake. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add the stock in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Turn off the heat and whisk in the gelatin until it has all dissolved. Once the pies have cooled slightly, pour the jelly mixture into each pie. Leave it in a cool area to set and serve.
