Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds ground pork, ideally organic & local
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Pastry for two double-crust, 9-inch pies
1 egg, beaten, for glaze
1. In a large, heavy frying pan, combine pork with cold water and heat to boiling point. It should be slightly soupy.
2. Add onion, celery, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 1 hours; stir often. Add more water if mixture dries out.
3. Halfway through cooking time, season with salt to taste.
4. Stir in rolled oats and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bay leaf and allow to cool.
5. Meanwhile, line two 9-inch pie plates with pastry. When meat mixture is lukewarm, divide it between two pie shells and spread it out evenly.
6. Brush around outer edge of pastry with the beaten egg. Place top crust on the tart and press gently around the edge to seal. Trim pastry, crimp edges and cut steam vents in top crust. Decorate as desired.
7. Bake in preheated 425°F/220°C oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F/190°C and bake another 25 minutes or until crust is golden.
Makes two 9-inch meat pies.
Make ahead
Is there any point in making just one meat pie? Not really. They freeze beautifully; whether pre-cooked or frozen with raw pastry dough, which ensures that you can get a hot, filling meal during the busy days ahead. Pies can be frozen directly after assembly, with the dough still raw. Wrap them well in plastic wrap and freeze.
To cook:
Remove pie from the freezer and unwrap.
Brush the top with a little beaten egg and place frozen meat pie in a preheated 375°F/190°C oven.
Bake until golden and heated through, about 50 minutes.
Pies can also be baked and cooled, then wrapped and frozen.