Savory Hot Water Crust Meat Pie Recipe - A Delicious Twist!

Ingredients

• Hot Water Crust:
• ¾ cup of rendered lard
• 1 cup of freshly boiled water
• 5 ⅓ cups of versatile all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of fine salt
• Filling:
• 2 pounds of flavorful ground pork sausage
• ½ pound of ground pork
• ½ pound of tender pork tenderloin, cut into small pieces
• 1 finely chopped onion
• ½ cup of freshly chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon of aromatic black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon of assorted herbs
• A pinch of mild curry powder, to your liking
• 1 pound of smoky streaky bacon
• 2 tablespoons of milk, or more as required

Step 1

Start by heating a generous amount of lard in a large microwave-safe bowl until it transforms into a silky pool, which should take around 30 seconds to a minute. Mix in some piping hot water to create a warm concoction.

Step 2

In a separate spacious bowl, mingle together flour and a pinch of salt, then fashion a little nest in the middle. Pour in the liquid lard blend and stir with a trusty wooden spoon until a smooth, slightly sticky dough ball materializes.

Step 3

Sprinkle a clean work surface with a touch of flour and lovingly knead the dough for a good 2 minutes. Roll out the majority of the dough into a circle about a third of an inch thick. Gently press it into the base and up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Roll out the remaining dough into another circle of the same thickness for the pie's top layer.

Step 4

Pop the pie crust base and lid into the freezer to set for roughly 10 minutes.

Step 5

Meanwhile, in a roomy bowl, mix together ground sausage, ground pork, tender pork tenderloin, onion, fresh parsley, a dash of pepper, fragrant thyme, an assortment of mixed herbs, and a hint of curry powder until it forms a flavorful paste.

Step 6

Preheat your oven to a toasty 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 7

Line the pastry crust with streaky bacon, covering the bottom and sides. Press in half of the delectable pork mixture, followed by a few slices of bacon. Layer in the remaining pork mixture and top it off with the rest of the streaky bacon. Brush the pastry edges with a touch of milk, then gently lay the lid on top. Seal the edges by pinching them together, brush the lid with more milk, and make two small slits on the surface.

Step 8

Slide the pie into the preheated oven and bake for about an hour. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and continue baking until a thermometer plunged into the center reads a minimum of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), which should take roughly another hour.

Step 9

Allow the pie to cool completely before releasing it from the pan.