PULLED PORK PIE
Ingredients
2 x 150g pork shoulder steaks, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon tomato purée
200ml hot chicken stock
200ml cider
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme
100g prepared puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
A little plain flour
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C, 150°C fan, Gas Mark 3. Heat the oil in a pan
and sauté the shallots, carrot and celery over a medium heat for about 5
minutes until golden.
Add the pork to the pan, season well, and cook until golden brown on each
side. Mix together the plain our, tomato purée and 2 tablespoons water
and stir into the base of the pan. Pour in the stock, cider and thyme and
stir together.
Cover the pan with a lid and bring to a simmer. Transfer to the oven and
cook for around 1½ hours until the pork is tender. Use two forks to shred
the meat and mix together with the sauce.
Increase the oven to 220°C, 200°C fan , Gas Mark 7. Divide the mixture
between two 300-350ml pie pots on large ramekin dishes
Dust a clean work surface with a little plain our and roll out the pastry
until it measures about 3mm thick. Turn the pie pots over onto the pastry
and cut around to create lids. Stamp out two heart shapes using a 3.5cm
heart cutter.
Put the pastry on top of the pie pots and brush with beaten egg, then put
the hearts on top and brush again with the egg. Bake in the oven for about
20 minutes until the pastry has pued up and is golden and the lling is
hot right through.
Serve with steamed green beans, peas and watercress, tossed in a little
extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.