Mini Pork Pies

Name: Mini Pork Pies
Yield: Makes 8 pies
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2½ cups (320 g) flour, plus more for the work surface; ¾ teaspoon salt; 6 slices bacon (4 oz/115 g), chopped; 3 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion; 8 quail eggs (optional); 1 lb (450 g) ground pork; ⅓ cup (80 ml) very cold water; 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; ½ cup (115 g) cold unsalted butter, diced; ¼ cup (60 g) cold solid vegetable shortening, diced; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon dried thyme or sage (optional); Good pinch of ground nutmeg (optional); Good pinch of black pepper; Unsalted butter, for the muffin cups; 2 teaspoons unseasoned fine dried bread crumbs; 1 egg, lightly whisked

Preparation info

Makes
8
pies

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

The Official Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook

By Downton Abbey

Published 2020

About

Traditionally made with a heavy lard-infused dough, these savory mini pies instead use a butter-and-shortening crust. The result is a lighter, flakier, and more flavorful pastry. The quail egg is optional but a fun addition. If you’re not using the egg, the pies will be slightly less full. Either way, Mrs. Patmore would surely approve.

Ingredients

For the Pastry

2½ cups (320 g) flour, plus more for the work surface
¾ teaspoon

Method

To make the pastry, in a food processor, combine the flour and salt and process until blended, about 5 seconds. Scatter the butter and shortening over the flour mixture and process briefly until the butter is coated with flour and slightly chopped, about 2 seconds. Sprinkle the water and lemon juice over the flour mixture and process until the dough comes together in small, moist crumbs, 7–10 s