Hot Water Crust Meat Pie

Ingredients

• Hot Water Crust:
• ¾ cup lard
• 1 cup boiling water
• 5 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Filling:
• 2 pounds ground pork sausage
• ½ pound ground pork
• ½ pound lean pork tenderloin, sliced into small pieces
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
• 1 pinch medium curry powder, or to taste
• 1 pound smoked streaky bacon
• 2 tablespoons milk, or as needed

Step 1

Melt the lard in a large microwave-safe bowl—about 30 seconds to a minute should do. Once melted, carefully stir in the boiling water. In another big bowl, mix the flour and salt together, then make a well in the center and pour in your lard mixture. Use a wooden spoon to stir everything until it comes together into a smooth, slightly sticky dough.

Step 2

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for a couple of minutes. Roll out about three-quarters of the dough into a circle roughly a third of an inch thick, then press it into a 10-inch springform pan, making sure it goes up the sides. Roll out the remaining dough the same way to make the pie’s top crust. Pop both the base and the top crust into the freezer for about 10 minutes so they firm up.

Step 3

While the dough chills, mix together all your meats, onion, herbs, and spices in a large bowl until you get a nice, sticky paste. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the pastry base with streaky bacon, then press in half of the meat mixture. Layer a few more strips of bacon on top before adding the rest of the meat, and finish with the remaining bacon.

Step 4

Brush the edges of the pastry with a little milk, place the top crust on, and pinch the edges to seal everything in. Give the top a milk wash and cut a couple of slits to let steam escape. Bake the pie for an hour, then turn the oven down to 300°F (150°C) and continue baking until a thermometer reads 160°F (71°C) in the center—this will take about another hour. Let the pie cool completely before taking it out of the pan.