40 mins
HOT WATER PASTRY
250g plain flour
100g lard
120ml water
FILLING
300g minced beef
1 small onion
200g Scotty Brand Soup Mix
1 tsp mixed herbs
1/2 heaped tsp mace
4 tbsp beef stock
Salt and pepper to season
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
For the filling, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Work the liquid into the meat, divide into four portions and mould into balls. Refrigerate while you make the pastry.
For the pastry, heat 160ml of water, salt and lard in a saucepan. Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Pour the hot liquid onto the flour and mix together with a spoon. Once cool enough to handle, tip onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
Set aside a quarter of the pastry. Divide the remaining dough into four equally sized balls. Roll out each ball to an 7in circle, about ¼in thick. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out four circular lids, 10cm/4in in diameter.
Place a ball of filling on each large circle of pastry. Gather the pastry around the meat and bring up the sides to form the shape of a pork pie. Keep stretching the pastry so it comes above the meat by around 2cm/1¾in. Seal the edges together using your fingers. Wrap a strip of greaseproof paper around each pie and secure with string (to make sure the pie holds its shape when cooking).
Put the pies on the baking tray and cut a steam hole in the centre of each. Brush with egg yolk and move to the fridge for 30 minutes. Bake until golden. Serve hot.
This recipe was created & photographed by Chloe McFarland.
