Ingredients
For the filling

4 tbsps crispy fried shallots
700g pork shoulder, finely minced
500g pork belly, finely minced
250g bacon lardons, finely minced
½ tsp ground mace
12 grates nutmeg
1 tsp dried sage, ground
1 tsp dried thyme, ground
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground white pepper

For the pastry
575g plain flour
100g lard
100g butter, plus extra for greasing
200ml warm water
1 tsp salt
1 beaten egg

To finish
1 egg, beaten
2 gelatine leaves
300ml apple juice or chicken stock

Equipment needed
Miniature pastry pusher
24 hole mini muffin tin

Method
Heat the oven to 180c.

Start with your shallots. In a mortar and pestle, grind until your shallots are a puree, this will take 5-10 minutes and the brown shallots will turn into a creamy colour puree.

In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients for the filling, including your shallots and give everything a really good mix to ensure it is fully combined. This is easiest with your hands but if you don’t like the feel, use rubber gloves.

To make the pastry, put the flour in a large bowl, then put the lard, butter, salt and water into a small pan and heat gently until the lard melts. Bring just to the boil and immediately turn off the heat and stir into the flour using a wooden spoon. If you have a stand mixer then put on your dough hook and knead the pastry until smooth - around 3 minutes.

If you do not have a stand mixer then leave to one side for just about 2 minutes.  You need the pastry to be very warm but not so hot you burn yourself.  When the mixture is cool enough to handle, (it should still feel very warm) knead well until smooth.

Grease your muffin tin with butter.

Break off a piece of pastry big enough to fill your muffin tin (mine weighed 25g) and cover the rest with a clean tea towel.  Roll your piece into a ball.  I used a pastry dolly and moulded the piece of pastry around it and then pushed it into the pan hole.

Fill each hole with the meat mixture, ensuring you pack it all down well and fill to the top.

Roll out the dough for the lids and using small pastry cutters, cut out enough lids for your pies. Egg wash the tops of your pies and place the lids on top of the pies, pinching all around the edges to seal. Egg wash the top of your pies and make holes for steam in the centre, using a skewer.

Cook in the oven for 30 minutes then reduce the heat to 160c and brush the top again with beaten egg and return to the oven for an additional 20-30 minutes.  When you are happy with the deep golden top, carefully take a pie out and check that the base is cooked and golden also. Remove from the oven and leave for roughly 10 minutes then very very carefully ensure the pies are not stuck anywhere in the tin and leave to go cold.

The next part is optional.  I know not everybody likes the jelly in pork pies and, if that is you, just don’t put it in.

Soak the gelatine in cold water for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the apple juice or stock until almost boiling. Remove from the heat, stir through the gelatine and then leave to cool to room temperature.  Use a small squeezy bottle to pour the stock into the pie through the hole in the top. Pour in a little at a time and gently move the pie from side to side to ensure the jelly goes down beside the meat. Leave to set for at least 4 hours.