This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Few dishes link Britain so closely to its gastronomic past as the pork pie. Indeed it’s one of the rare everyday foodstuffs that would be instantly recognisable to our medieval forebears. Perfect for picnics but spectacular enough to form the centrepiece at a party — they were the Christmas Day breakfast of novelist DH Lawrence — a pork pie is a foodstuff for every occasion.
Origins
According to The Oxford Companion to Food, by Alan Davidson, the pork pie is a direct descendant of the medieval raised pie, or coffyn, in which a sturdy crust acted as packaging for something more delicate and valuable. One might send wild venison into town wrapped in pastry, for instance. The likes of veal and ham, or mixed game, are still popular in raised (i.e. freestanding) pies; chef Calum Franklin has recipes for everything from coronation chicken to mac and cheese raised pies in his book The Pie Room. Plain pork, however, is now by far the most common filling.
The Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray has been known for its pork pies since the 1700s — a by-product of the local cheesemaking industry (stilton is produced nearby), whose surplus whey proved ideal for fattening pigs. The resulting pies were an easy packed lunch for labourers, and became more widely popular thanks to Melton’s position in prime fox-hunting country. Wealthy huntsmen took their taste for this handy horseback snack away with them, and bakers began to sell to London by stagecoach in 1831.
Melton Mowbray pork pies are now available in every major supermarket, and were awarded EU protected geographical indication status in 2009 — which later became a UK protected geographic origin mark — limiting their production to a fixed region around the town.
How are pork pies made?
The most important element of a pork pie is the pastry, for it’s this robust casing that sets it apart from sausage rolls or hand-held, pasty-like pies. Rather than crumbly shortcrust or airy puff, it’s made from hot water crust pastry, a dense dough of flour, lard, salt and boiling water, thoroughly kneaded to develop the gluten and make it as strong as possible. Traditionally this was formed around a wooden ‘dolly’ mould and then baked without support, leading to a pie with the slightly bulging silhouette still found in the Melton Mowbray version, but others today are often packed into straight-sided tins instead.
Once upon a time such pies were probably a repository for more unusual parts of the pig, but these days they tend to be made with shoulder (as in Mark Hix’s recipe), belly (as preferred by the late Keith Floyd), or a mixture of both, minced — but not too finely. Because it contains fresh — rather than cured — meat, the inside of a Melton Mowbray pie is the grey of roast pork, rather than the ham-like pink common elsewhere, and seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg or mace. This filling shrinks during cooking, so once the pie has cooled, a savoury jelly is poured in through a hole on top to stop it drying out.
Where to try pork pies
Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, Melton Mowbray
The most recent winner of the Melton Mowbray pork pie category at the British Pie Awards, Dickinson & Morris was first established in 1851, and has its outlet in the old bakery in town. As well as the classic version, it offers a pie with stilton, along with several less traditional options featuring the likes of chilli, black pudding and apple.
Stanforth Butchers, Skipton
Southerners used to enjoying their pies at room temperature should prepare to have their minds blown by the warm versions served at this celebrated North Yorkshire purveyor of pork pies. Just be sure to tuck a napkin into your collar before taking a bite, because they’re famously juicy.
The Wyre Pie Company, Tenbury Wells
Also available at various butchers and farmers markets throughout the Marches, the ‘Mr Williams’ sage and thyme-spiked pork pie scooped a coveted three stars at this year’s Great Taste Awards, with judges particularly impressed by the well-seasoned pork and jelly that’s “sweet, juicy and just rich enough to add further satisfaction.”
To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
FAQs
Origins. According to The Oxford Companion to Food, by Alan Davidson, the pork pie is a direct descendant of the medieval raised pie, or coffyn, in which a sturdy crust acted as packaging for something more delicate and valuable. One might send wild venison into town wrapped in pastry, for instance.
Why was pork pie invented? ›
As such, it's believed the modern pork pie originated in the Middle Ages when people encased meat in short crust to preserve it. Today, they come from across the United Kingdom and they are made using a variety of recipes.
What does the pork pie hat symbolize? ›
The porkpie hat is the mark of the determined hipster, the kind of cat you might see hanging around a jazz club or a pool hall, maybe wearing a button-front leather jacket and pointy shoes. It's a Tom Waits, Johnny Thunders kind of hat. It has a narrower brim than a fedora and a flat top with a circular indent.
What does pork pie stand for? ›
"Pork pies" (telling "porkies") is co*ckney rhyming slang for "lies".
What are some interesting facts about pork pies? ›
Modern pork pies are a direct descendant of the raised meat pies of medieval cuisine, which used a dense hot water crust pastry as a simple means of preserving the filling. In France the same recipes gave rise to the modern Pâté en croute.
What was the original purpose of pie? ›
The Romans took the concept of pies even further. They would make a pastry of flour, oil and water to cover up meat but this was intended to preserve the juices and flavour of the filling and was not intended to be eaten. A Roman cookbook from the 1st Century, called Apicius, mentions recipes that include pie cases.
Why don't pork pies have jelly? ›
While you can make a pork pie without the jelly, traditional pork pies have gelatin (some boiled pig trotters) added to preserve and keep the meat moist. You will often see a small hole in the lid of the pie where the jelly has been poured in.
What does pork pies mean in slang? ›
Apart from the literal meaning of actual pies filled with pork, 'pork pies' is co*ckney rhyming slang for 'lies'. With rhyming slang the actual portion that rhymes is often dropped in order to further confuse the outsider, so it becomes 'porkies'. So, someone 'telling porkies' is a liar.
Why do they call it a porkpie hat? ›
It is widely believed that the hat's name was originally derived from its resemblance to the Melton Mowbray pork pie; a popular pastry originating from the market town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England around the 1760s.
Who should wear a pork pie hat? ›
Anyone with a long, short, or oval-shaped face can wear a pork pie hat, but those with a round or square face should perhaps choose a slightly softer 'trilby' shape. A porkpie hat has a lower crown than a trilby or fedora hat, making it excellent for people who are already tall and don't want to gain any more height.
Traditionally, the jelly is made using a pig's trotter, and there is a recipe for this on page 98 of the book, but if you are short of time you can make the simple version below. In most traditional recipes the pastry is also hand-raised, which means that it is shaped without the help of a mould.
Why is pork pie meat pink? ›
Historians believe that the pork pie evolved from a pasty. Many parts of the country used to cure the pork filling before using it in a pie thereby creating a pink colour on the inside. In Melton Mowbray, the pie contained uncured fresh meat. Once roasted, the filling was grey resembling uncured roast pork.
What is pork pies real name? ›
Augustus Neapolitan Cleveland "Porkpie" Grant (Ram John Holder) continued to work as a lollipop man, although not enjoying his job, struggling to make ends meet and unable to afford to pay his bills.
What town is famous for pork pies? ›
The Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray has been known for its pork pies since the 1700s — a by-product of the local cheesemaking industry (stilton is produced nearby), whose surplus whey proved ideal for fattening pigs.
Why were pork pies invented? ›
In medieval times, these pies were cooked in a clay pot and the short water crust pastry wasn't the highlight of a pie, but merely a way of preserving the meat inside and was often discarded (can you imagine?!). Cooks often slipped in other things along with meat like currants or other fruit.
What are 3 interesting facts about pork? ›
Pigs can run a 7-minute mile. Pig heart valves can be used to replace damaged human heart valves. Swine were among the first of all animals to be domesticated.
Are pork pies protected? ›
Melton Mowbray pork pies are now available in every major supermarket, and were awarded EU protected geographical indication status in 2009 — which later became a UK protected geographic origin mark — limiting their production to a fixed region around the town.
Why was the meat pie made? ›
"There were no metal baking dishes or ways to keep food fresh, so the pastry was used both as cooking container and preserver," Dr Clarkson said. "Called a 'coffin', it was made with very hard rye flour up to seven inches thick and wrapped around the meat and baked. This could preserve meat for up to a year."
Why was shepherds pie invented? ›
Many people believe that the peasant housewives invented the pie as an easy way to repackage leftovers from their Sunday roast. The Shepherd Pie is thought to originate from Ireland and the northern parts of England.
