Chef and beer aficionado Richard Fox teams up with Pork Pie Pete from Pork Farms to talk all things Pork Pie. Foxy learns how to bake his very own tasty British classic treat while advising on the perfect accompaniments for three different pork pie recipes – Mild Sweet Cured, Original and Vintage Melton Mowbray.
From InMadrid Magazine
You have to be brave to try to introduce British food to the Spanish market, but some expats have risen to the challenge, as Jeff Wiseman finds out from Madrid’s pie and sausage makers.
Although you may not have celebrated it, 1 to 7 March 2010 was an important week in the British calendar. ” I heard about it on Twitter,” explains Keith Williamson, “and I’ve always been a bit of a fetishist about … well, you know.” From the large plate of delicious-looking food in front of me, 1eertainly did know. The beginning of March was in fact British Pie Week, and the event had inspired Keith to undertake some expert British pie-makiig in Madrid.
The proper pie
“There’s no better food product on the planet,” he smiles. I interrupt by adding “than a pie”, but he immediately corrects me. “Than a proper pie,” he insists, emphasising “proper” as if it were a brand name like Harrods. “1mean not just a ceramic dish with sloppy filling and a bit of pastry thrown on top, but a handcrafted product, made with love.” For anyone unfamiliar with the British diet, pies have been part of the nation’s eating habits since medieval times. The most popular fillings are pork, or steak and kidney, but dueto mass-market produdion they’ve fallen a little out of fashion of late. Keith believes that genuine, handmade pies are ready to make a comeback. “One Pie Week tweet led to a video demonstration by a head baker at a UK pork pie factory He was using a sort of a potter’s wheel, shaping the pie, fdling it and baking it without any mould or support,” he explains. “I’d tried making pies before and everyone’s reaction to them was ‘Wow! You should do this for a living.”‘ “In the end, 1approached a couple of friends who had expressed an interest and with their financia1 assistance we thought: ‘OK, let’s do it’.” The production started seri- ously in April, although the numbers are still extremely small. Surprisingly, the first order came from a Spanish bar in Malasaña, despite expectations that the main inter- est would be from Irish bars and expats.
Variety show
The essential combination for a great pork pie is a fim- but-succulent pastry, with a healthy filling of minced pork surrounded by a thin layer of jelly. Keith adds his own pickle to the pork, made from a secret recipe, which gives a wonderful edge to the taste. “Our range also includes a layered pie of chicken breast and ham; scotch eggs; and pasties containing beef, potato, carrot and onion. For those with a sweeter tooth, there’s an apple pie with cinnamon.” I test an attractive-looking pork number, and its flavour and texture quickly distinguish it from the bland examples found in supermarkets. “It’s a labour of love at the moment, and I’m very picky about what goes into the pies, how they’re made and how they taste,” comments Keith as 1nod appreciatively.
Tasty pastry
Good pastry is critical, but Keith oozes confidence. “Pastry is super-easy!” he grins. “Cold hands make great pies! You have to keep the pastry cool because it’s important that the fat doesn’t melt into it. You need the fat ta break inta blobs small enough for the pastry to stick to. The less you tauch and warm the pastry while you work with it, the better it turns out.” With nothing like a traditional British pie on the mar- ket in Spain at the moment, he’s optimistic. “Afriend of mine, José Luis, runs an amazing restaurant in Ocentejo, a tiny village in Guadalajara. He’s a professional chef who trained in the UK, and after trying a sample pork pie he said, with a grin, that he wanted to many me. In the end, my wife and 1compromised on a dinner with his family and regular customers, and they al1 loved the pies. It was a very grating result.” Keith originally moved to Madrid as a web designer, after having spent 15 years in Dubai, so the pie development is an unexpected twist to his original plans. The business objective is to start slowly, targeting Madrid’s British contingent, and then expand. A website has just been launched at http://great-british-food.com. “Wouldn’t it be fun to have a Greek temple-style headquarters called the Piethanon?” Keith laughs. But my mind is already drawn to other things. Not least a rather tasty- looking beef pasty.
A sausage meet?
While Keith’s endeavour is recent, Brendan Murphy decid- ed to address the lack of quality sausages in Madrid two years ago. “When 1started working in Irish bars, 1could-n’t find a decent sausage,” he says. “So one night, after enjoying severa1 ciders, myself and my mate, Cider Dave, decided we’d give sausage-making a go.” Fortunately Cider Dave had some experience, and Brendan started experimenting with various mixes. The result was The Proper Sausage Company, which advertises itself with the wonderful slogan “If it moves-stuff it.” Production runs are very small, but in addition ta Spanish chorizo, they’ve made blue cheese, criollo, and Spicy Demon Hot Saussie varieties. The 2010 World Cup demanded something special, so Brendan opted for a Boereswors (literally, farmer sausage), popular in South Africa. Irish bars such as the Triskel Tavern, Scruffy Murphys and The Lock Inn may sometimes be able to pro- vide the sausages. Also, The Irish Rover runs occasional sausage specials (bangers and mash with onion gravy).
For pie orders bigor small, head to Keith’s new website at htpp://great-british-food.com or email him at sales@great-british-food.com
by Eric Stanway
“You must taste,” said my sister, addressing the guests with her best grace, “You must taste, to finish with, such a delightful and delicious present of Uncle Pumblechook’s!”
Must they! Let them not hope to taste it!
“You must know,” said my sister, rising, “it’s a pie; a savoury pork pie.”
– Charles Dickens, “Great Expectations”
As any regular reader of Dickens knows, the pork pie in question has already been consumed by the escaped convict Magwitch; provided by him by young Pip, obliged to supply him with food on pain of having his heart and liver torn out.
The pork pies of Britain are a completely different animal from the French-Canadian variety we find around here. For one thing, the meat is chopped, not minced; it has a lard crust; and it is invariably served cold, with relish and pickled onions. Pork pies are plentiful all over Britain, but the universal yardstick of the genuine item resides in the tiny Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray.
Melton Mowbray is an ancient town, its market being mentioned in the Doomsday Book survey of 1086. It sits in the middle of the gently rolling hills of the Vale of Belvoir, a land superbly suited to the raising of cattle. As a result of this, the area developed the unique blue-veined cheese known as Stilton.
In 1727, an enterprising farmer’s wife by the name of Frances Pawlett began producing Stilton cheese, which was then sold by her brother-in-law at his pub, The Bell Inn, in the town of Stilton. The cheese was so highly regarded that Daniel Defoe, author of “Robinson Crusoe,” made note of it in his writings. So, you’re asking, what has this to do with pork pie? Steady on, I’m getting to that. One of the byproducts of cheese production is whey, which makes excellent food for pigs. A thriving pork industry soon made itself apparent, and with it, the Melton Mowbray pork pie soon made its debut. Originally, the crust of the pie was simply a casing, meant to be discarded after the meat inside was consumed. Then, an odd thing happened.
With the Enclosures Act of 1761, many of the smaller farms were amalgamated into larger, more efficiently managed tracts of land. The dairy business exploded, and the open spaces became prime space for the then-popular sport of foxhunting. By the end of the century, three famous hunts – the Quorn, Cottesmore and Belvoir – were a regular feature of the sleepy little town. Hunting is hungry work, and these sportsmen soon noticed their grooms and servants scarfing down pork pies in the odd quiet moment. One thing led to another, and there was soon a booming business for the product. The bakers began making the crust thinner and richer, and the whole deal a lot more compact, so as to stay intact while being jammed into a knapsack. Soon, Melton Mowbray pork pies were all the rage in the taverns of London, where returning hunters would praise these rustic comestibles. The Melton Mowbray pork pie was distinctive from its competitors in two ways. First, since there was a steady supply of pork on hand, they were always made from fresh, not cured, meat. This meant that the color of the filling was gray, not pink. Second, the pies were baked free-standing, so the sides would have a tendency to bow out.
Now, these might seem like trivial points, but they were no laughing matter to the residents of the town, who saw counterfeit pies being passed off as the genuine article in other villages. This pervasive problem led to the formation of the Melton Mowbray Pie Association in 1998, which sought to gain Protected Geographical Indication for their recipe. It took a lot of hard work, and 10 long years, but they finally managed to achieve this. Now, a genuine Melton Mowbray pork pie can be produced only within the confines of this town. That shouldn’t stop you from baking up a batch, however. Since they’re meant to be eaten cold anyway, they make a handy little snack for whatever revelers might show up on New Year’s Eve.
MELTON MOWBRAY PORK PIE
Serves 8.
Pork bones
2 onions
2 sage leaves, 1 finely chopped
1 bay leaf Marjoram Thyme Salt and pepper
2 pounds pork, from leg or shoulder 2 anchovies, chopped
FOR THE CRUST:
1 pound all-purpose flour Salt ½ pound lard ¾ cup milk and water, mixed 1 egg, well-beaten Put the bones on to boil in 1 quart water, along with the onions, whole sage leaf, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, salt and pepper. Boil for 2 hours, to reduce stock to 2½ cups liquid. Cool, and skim off fat. Taste, and check seasoning. It should gel a little as it cools.
While stock is boiling, prepare the filling. Cut the pork into ¼-inch pieces, excluding gristle and skin. Place in a bowl, and toss with minced anchovies, salt, pepper and sage.
Prepare the crust by sifting together the flour and salt. Rub 4 tablespoons of the lard into the flour, putting the remainder in a pan with the milk and water solution and boiling over a low heat. Make a well in the center of the flour, and pour the fat solution in the middle. Stir vigorously, and then set out on a lightly floured board. Knead the dough with your knuckles, and then divide into two pieces, one twice the size of the other. Take the larger piece, and roll it out until about ¼ inch thick. Taking a large Springform pan, line the interior with the dough, making sure there are no holes. Take the stock off the heat, and allow to cool.
Pack the crust with the meat, leaving about 1 inch at the top. Take the smaller piece of dough, and form it into a lid. Fold the dough down on the inside, and secure the top with beaten egg. Cut a small hole in the top of the crust and paint liberally with beaten egg. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake the pie for 20 minutes to set the pastry, then reduce to 325 degrees. Cover the top of the pie with aluminum foil, and bake for a further 1½ hours. Ten minutes before the end of the cooking time, brush the pie with the remaining egg. Remove the pie from the oven, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Reheat the jellied stock a little, and then pour into the hole on top of the pie. Allow the pie to cool completely before serving, with cheese, pickled onions and sweet chutney.
Eric Stanway can be reached at Eric.Stanway@yahoo.com or www.Eric Stanway.com.
Ginsters, the UK’s leading savoury pastry brand, is launching its own pork pie range this spring in order to expand its popular portfolio of quality pastry products and drive growth into the pork pie segment.
Available in a variety of pie and pack sizes to suit all kinds of snacking, sharing and lunchbox occasions, the versatile new savouries are made with 100% British pork.
The UK market for pork pies is worth £130.9m with potential for further growth across the coming year. Head of Brand Marketing for Ginsters, Andy Valentine, comments: “The pork pie market is a traditional sector in need of reinvigoration and that’s exactly what we’re aiming to do with our new range.
“Consumer research has highlighted that the perfect pork pie should be well seasoned, contain fresh British pork and have firm and crunchy pastry.
“We’ve specifically addressed these traditional characteristics with our new pies, whilst bringing a range of sizes and flavour options to help attract younger buyers to the market.
“Our loyal consumers will love the handy snack-sized packs which are ideal for lunchboxes or picnics and our new Ploughmans Pork Pie, containing Red Leicester Cheese and pickle, has proved very popular in research.”
Each product in the new Pork Pie range uses only 100% fresh British pork, is baked to a traditional recipe seasoned with Ginsters own pepper blend, and contains no added colours or flavourings.
RRP: Snacking – Individual Pork Pie (135g), £1.59: 4pk Snack Pork Pies (300g), £2.50 and 4pk Snack Ploughman’s Pork Pies (300g), £2.50 (Pork, Red Leicester Cheese and pickle).
Sharing, Medium Pork Pie (280g). £2.00; 6pk Mini Pork Pies (300g), £2.00 and Lunchbox, 2pk Mini Pork Pie (100g), £1.49.
and the winner is…:
Derek Wyatt.
Derek Wyatt, the Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey in Kent A Labour MP claimed on his parliamentary expenses for five mini pork pies an individual pork pie.
A soccer fan has spent the season sampling the pies sold in the 92 football league stadiums scattered across the country. Tom Dickinson, 22, is writing a book called “92 Pies” about his experiences. He has done 89 so far, and reckons he has covered the distance to Australia and back. His verdict so far? The worst was Walsall: “not much heat or meat in the middle.” The best have to be those sold at Morecambe’s Christie Park. These include pork pies (served hot), minced beef & onion and steak and kidney all at £1.30 each, and now a steak and gravy pie with mushy peas and mint sauce for £2. And no, he hasn’t put on much weight, he reports.
A media frenzy encircled Melton this week at the first ever British Pie Awards.
The ceremony in St Mary’s Church was hailed a massive success with 511 entries in 12 categories, featuring on BBC Scotland and East Midlands, Central News, GMTV, Channel 4 news, the Today programme and even Cyprus radio.
Thirty eight judges chomped their way through the selection with a Melton Mowbray pork pie crowned the Supreme Champion, the Pie of Pies, made by Walker’s Charnwood Bakery for Sainsbury’s.
Celebrity chefs rubbed shoulders with food writers from the national press and authors of best selling cookbooks as tasty snacks from the length and breadth of the nation vied for top spot in 12 separate categories.
TV-cook Rachel Green said: “It has been a filling day but it has been a fantastic occasion and it couldn’t have been held in a better place than Melton. This is the hub of food in the UK.
“Holding it in St Mary’s Church has given it a superb atmosphere – it felt like a medieval banquet with all the food lined up on tables.
Sheila Dillon, presenter of BBC Radio 4′s the Food Programme enjoyed the belt-expanding experience and announced the winners.
She said: “I am feeling sort of bilious now but impressed at how alive the pie industry is in Melton Mowbray.”
Organiser Matthew O’Callaghan was delighted at the number of entrants there, but said there were improvements to be made.
He said: “I think our greatest achievement was the number of people who wanted to participate and recognised Melton’s unique place in British food. There are lots of competitions out there one dedicated to pies is unique and the enthusiasm with which people participated was inspiring.
“This is just the start, all the judges have asked to come back. I expect soon we will have over 1,000 pies and a major festival located in the town. Although I suspect at some stage we will have to let the tarts in.”
Judges were looking at a whole host of different aspects to each entrant, from look, feel, if the contents had spilled out and last, but by no means least, taste.
Dr O’Callaghan said: “There was a surprising number of pies that were disappointing, undercooked or with rancid meat. But we are giving back feedback to the bakers. Our ultimate aim is to improve the British Pie.”
*Winners in the categories included a strong Melton showing.
Dickinson and Morris picked up the best pork pie award and the savoury cold category with its game pie.
Brockleby’s scooped the best other pasty group.
The winners in full:
Melton Mowbray pork pie: Walkers Charnwood Bakery for Sainsbury’s (also supreme champion)
Pork pie: Dickinson and Morris
Steak and Kidney: Mrs E King
Savoury Hot: Learmont Butcher
Savoury Cold: Dickinson and Morris (game pie)
Fish: Baghall Butchers
Vegetarian: Pieminister
Cornish Pasty: Chunk of Devon
Other pasty: Brockleby’s Farm (poachers game pie)
British apple pie: Stuarts’ of Buckhaven
Other dessert: Kensey Foods (Tesco cherry)
Football pie: MacDougall and Hastie (Clachnacuddin FC)
Winners announced in the First-ever British Pie Awards
In a tense and closely-fought contest, Sainsbury’s Melton Mowbray Pork Pie produced by Walker’s Charnwood Bakery, was declared the ‘Pie of Pies’, the Supreme Champion in the first-ever British Pie Awards held in the splendid
setting of St Mary’s Church Melton Mowbray, Tuesday 21 April 2009, beating off more than 500 rivals.
Winning £1000 and a weekend at Stapleford Park, Ian Heircock, Master Pie-maker of Walker’s Charnwood Bakery said, “We are really delighted to have won, it means a lot to have our pie acknowledged by such an expert panel of judges.”
The winner was announced to an audience of dignitaries, celebrities and pie-makers by Sheila Dillon, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme.
The pies were blessed by the Rector of St Mary’s, the Revd. Peter Hooper, and TV chef Rachel Green read an ‘Ode to Pies’, specially commissioned from BBC Radio Lincolnshire presenter Judy Theobald.
Matthew O’ Callaghan, Chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, which hosted the Awards, said; “With over 500 entrants, from the Highlands of Scotland to the Coasts of Cornwall, the Awards showed the craftsmanship of Britain’s bakers and butchers and their passion for pies; our unique contribution to world food.”
With 12 classes of pie, including a Football Pie class (entered by clubs such as Everton, Aston Villa, Celtic, Rangers – and Accrington Stanley), 511 pies were entered. To qualify as pie, the entry had to be fully encased in pastry, and also be in commercial production. Each class has a Winner, with Gold, Silver and Bronze awards (see below for details).
The prestigious line up of judges included Ed Bedington, editor of Meat Trades Journal, Angela Boggiano, Food Editor for Delicious magazine, Xanthe Clay, food writer from The Daily Telegraph, Sophie Conran, author of Sophie Conran’s Pies, Tamasin Day-Lewis, author of Queen of Tarts, Sheila Dillon, presenter of The Food Programme, Radio 4, TV chef Rachel Green, Sylvia Macdonald, editor of British Baker, Simon Majumdar, co-writer of food blog Dos Hermanos and TV Chef Phil Vickery.
Sponsored by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association and Food from Britain with support from Sysonby Knoll Hotel and Stapleford Park Country House Hotel.
British Pie Awards Winners 2009
Melton Mowbray Pork Pie – Champion: Sainsbury’s Melton Mowbray Pork Pie produced by Walker’s Charnwood Bakery
Pork Pie – Champion: Dickinson and Morris 6 Pack Mini Melton Mowbray Pork Pie
Steak and Kidney Pie – Champion: Mrs King’s Pies
Savoury Pie – Champion: A J Learmonth Butchers – Chicken, Haggis and Peppercorn Pie
Savoury Pie – Champion: Dickinson and Morris – Game Pie
Fish Pie – Champion: Boghall Butchers – Cod with White Wine Pie
Vegetarian Pie – Champion: Pieminister – Heidi Pie
Cornish Pasty – Champion: Chunk of Devon
Other Pasty – Champion: Brocklebys – Poacher’s Game
British Apple Pie – Champion: Stuart’s of Buckhaven
Other Dessert Pie – Champion: Tesco’s Cherry Pie produced by Kensey Foods
Football Pie – Champion: Clachnacuddin FC produced by MacDougall Hastie Butchers
A move to celebrate England’s often under-appreciated contribution to world cuisine is to be launched this week. Over the last 20 years sales of English dishes have gradually been overtaken by Italian, Indian and American style cuisine – even Englands biggest selling dish is now a curry, Chicken Tikka Masala. But now Tesco wants to restore pride in England’s great culinary history. On St. George’s Day the supermarket is taking first steps to bring greater recognition to iconic English dishes starting with Melton Mowbray pork pies; Yorkshire beef and beer pie; and Bramley apple pie. Each dish will carry a sticker with the slogan “an English classic for St George’s Day”. And, if customers like the move then Tesco could extend it across the UK to other English classics such as fish and chips, Lancashire Hot Pot, Shepherd’s Pie, Toad in the Hole, Spotted Dick, Jam Roly Poly, Beef Wellington, Bubble and Squeak, roast dinners, and of course the sandwich. Tesco Convenience Foods buyer Alex Freudmann said “England has created some of the world’s most delicious and enduring dishes such as fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash and apple crumble yet unlike other international cuisine it doesn’t get the credit it truly deserves. “We don’t think that’s right and we want to restore some pride in our amazing home creations – English dishes deserve their rightful place in world culinary history. “We thought that St George’s Day was the perfect launch date for the campaign and we are starting with classic pies – Melton Mowbray pork pie, Yorkshire beef pie and a Bramley apple pie. “If the trial is a success we will look at extending the campaign to other English classics and celebrate each dish’s regional origins at stores in that area.” Each of the dishes featuring the St.George’s flag will initially be trialled in their county of origin – the beef and beer pie in Yorkshire; the pork pie in Leicestershire and the Bramley apple pie in Kent. There will also be promotional activity including tasting sessions for customers. The idea for the campaign came after demand for traditional English staples soared during the last six months as shoppers look to cheer themselves up with old favourites during the recession. Sales of Braised Lamb and Mash at Tesco have quadrupled on the same period last year while demand for Lancashire Hotpot and bangers and mash have more than doubled. Other top sellers in the last six months include: • Toad in the Hole – sales up 179 per cent on the same period last year • Cottage Pie – sales up 176 per cent • Bangers and Mash – up 72 per cent • Roly Poly and custard – up 32 per cent Tesco shoppers have already become more supportive of buying locally produced fare and in the last year sales of locally-sourced produce totalled £624m – smashing the £545m target. Added Tesco’s Alex Freudmann: “We know through our own sales figures that the Scots, Welsh and Irish are all very patriotic when it comes to buying their own locally produced food whether it comes from the north, south, east or west. “The English are different and tend to remain loyal to their counties so hopefully this move will help encourage a wider feeling of nationality.”
Esquire.co.uk
Although we like to keep as trim as possible (at least until baggy trousers come back into fashion), we’re very keen on our snacks here at Esquire, and, like pigs sniffing for truffles, we will travel great lengths to find the perfect feast. This week we managed to get our trotters on what are possibly the country’s best pork pies.
This much maligned snack (okay, it’s not great for your cholesterol) surely deserves a gastronomic comeback. These particular gems we found at Samphire, the farm shop at Blickling Hall, former home of Anne Boleyn, in Norfolk.
Samphire’s Gloucester Old Spot pork pies with onion marmalade have previously won rave reviews from The Times’s Giles Coren and the BBC, and truly deserve the wholehearted approval they received from the Esquire team this week. And they come at a credit-crunch friendly £2.49. If you’re not heading to Norfolk this weekend, they will even deliver. Order on the Samphire website or by calling 01263 734464.
April 16th, 2009
