There’s nothing better than a homemade pie fresh out of the oven. Except for a bunch of mini homemade pies! Try these delicious mini pork pies and each one of your guests can have an individual pie.
The pork pie originated in England, United Kingdom, and can be enjoyed hot or cold. The type of pork pies that we know and love today is directly influenced by the meat pies of medieval cuisine. However, the pies in those times had a dense hot water crust pastry to preserve the filling. Luckily for us, most shops in the 21st century have ready-made puff pastry available.
Puff Pastry Tip
Before rolling your puff pastry out, make sure it is completely thawed. This will ensure that there is no cracking or tearing of the pastry as you work with it.
The Pork Filling
Pork pies can easily come across as “bland” or “basic”. However, this recipe’s pork filling is anything but bland. Packed with goodness and a few surprise flavours, this is a must-have. To add a bit more “porky” flavour to the dish, additional smoked bacon is added to the mixture. The cloves, nutmeg and garlic blend really well with the smoky flavour and brings richness to the pork. That surprise spice will come through from the cayenne pepper. Add a bit more cayenne if you enjoy the heat, or feel free to leave it out if your palette does not appreciate any hot spice.
After your pies have been filled and the tops have been sealed, it is just the egg wash that is left. Not only does the egg wash give the pastry a shiny surface, but it also helps the pastry to bake a beautiful golden brown colour.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1-2 cups chicken stock
- 1 kg ground pork
- 250 g wood smoked and diced bacon
- 3 3 garlic cloves – chopped
- 1 & ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp ½ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 rolls puff pastry – thawed
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp milk
Instructions
- Grease two muffin tray's with non-stick spray, then In a small saucepan, mix cornstarch and broth until blended, bring to a boil, stirring constantly
- Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened, remove from heat
- In a large heavy-based saucepan, cook the ground pork, stir and break up pork into crumbles as the cooking progresses then add the bacon
- Keep on cooking until the pork is not pink, drain and set aside
- Add the broth mixture to the pork, cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened, allow to cool
- Preheat oven to 200° C / 425 °F and Unroll each pie crust
- On a flat work surface, sprinkled flour, roll out the pie crust into a circle. (Measure your muffin pans and cut 20 large circles that will fit in right to the bottom and edge and 20 smaller to cover)
- Using floured round cookie cutters, cut sixteen circles and sixteen smaller circles, rolling scraps as needed
- Place large circles in greased muffin cups, pressing crust on bottom and upsides, then fill each with 3 large tablespoons of pork mixture
- Place small circles over the filling, press edges with a fork to seal
- In a small bowl, whisk egg and milk, brush over tops, then cut slits in crust
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown, then carefully remove pies to wire racks
- Serve warm or cold and enjoy
