I have been a competition chef for many years and recntly have been a pie judge at county shows, many amature cooks excel at making pork pies and the best tasting are always the pies made with the use of molds.
Adding seasoning of your choice improves the flavour and the jelly must always be made with pork bones and pigs trotters.
The Melton Mowbray style pie is insipid and the grey coloured meat is a turn of, if you like quality pork pies buy them from a good quality butcher not your supermarket

A nice change is to add boiled eggs to the meat mixture.These can be sliced half or left whole.Just place the eggs on the outer rim of the pan.

I have been a professional cook all of my life so know a bit about the fine art of cooking.I made the Mowbray pie recently but was not charmed and prefer my own recipes.I added sausage meat to the pork which was a big mistake.While cooking the fat from the sausage meat leaked out of the pie and into the oven.I have never made any pie before without cooking the meat first.

a good variation is to add chicken stock instead of water in the pastry, and to add either miced bacon or sausage meat to the filling,(or even minced pork fat if you want to be really authentic) and plenty of sage. Also i find that if you just use chicken stock instead of plain water for the jelly, it will make the best pies.

have you tried Tesco? i think that Trex or any solid vegetable fat would work ok.

I cant find anywhere that sells lard - what else can I use ??

hi does anyone else have any more pork pie ideas/recipes.

Here's one:

for pastry:
1lb plain flour
4oz lard
1/2 pint hot water
pinch salt
beaten egg for brushing

for filling:
2lb shoulder of pork, trimmed, boned and diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon gelatine

- Sift the flour and salt into a warmed bowl.
- Put the warm water into a saucepan with the lard and bring to the boil, stirring.
- When the lard is melted pour this into the flour.
- Mix quickly to a dough and then knead lightly until smooth.
- Divide the pastry into four bits.
- Shape each quarter around a floured jam jar (this will be the case of the pork pie), reserving enough pastry to make lids later on.
- Put jam jars with pastry around them in the fridge until set and firm.
- When firm remove the pastry from the jam jars and place the pastry shapes onto a well greased baking tray.
- Make the lids with the reserved pastry.
- Boil all the meat trimmings and bones in water until it is reduced to a very strong stock.
- Roll the meat in the seasonings and spice.
- Fill the pastry cases with the seasoned meat.
- Cover with the lids.
- Seal by dampening the edges with a little water and pinch into a traditional pork pie crimp.
- Brush the top with the beaten egg and make a hole for the steam to escape from in the middle of the lid.
- Bake at 220 degrees c for about 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 180 degrees c and cook for a further 1 3/4 - 2 hours.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Dissolve the gelatine in 1 tablespoon of very hot water.
- Add about 100ml stock to the gelatine and pour it into the pies through the holes in the lids so that it fills the pie to the top.

Sounds tasty - let me know if you try it.

hi im after the recipe for the british pork pie because im a big fan can u help plz many thanx dean