PORK AND APPLE EN CROUTE

PORK AND APPLE EN CROUTE:

I admit it.  I love historical cooking.  Even more so, when I have recipes, concepts, or techniques that have been passed down or shared amongst friends.  A very good friend and fellow historical cooking enthusiast introduced me to a wonderful method dating back to the early 1500’s.  Though refined over time, the “en croute” method, or baking of a meat filling in a full pastry shell, is still as popular as ever. 

For those who are either unfamiliar with, haven’t had, or perhaps have but don’t remember a dish of the “en croute” style, it’s fairly simple.  The term "en croute" indicates a food that has been wrapped in pastry dough and then baked in the oven.  Salmon en croute and Beef Wellington are often the most common entrée recipes.  Your pastry can be either very light and flakey for recipes with lighter filling, or with more flour and shortening, a slightly heavier dough is perfect for a meat filled pie.

I recently tried this delicious variation on a English Victorian picnic staple, courtesy of the book PIES:  Sweet and Savory, by author and chef, Caroline Bretherton.  This is perfect hot or cold, and travels well as well as refrigerates well for about 3-4 days.

PORK AND APPLE EN CROUTE:

FOR DOUGH:

·         2 1/3 Cup Flour

·         1 ½ Cups Shortening or Lard

·         1 tsp. Salt

FOR FILLING:

·         1 Tbs. Olive Oil

·         1 Onion, Finely Chopped

·         3 ½ Oz. Pancetta or Proscuitto, Finely Chopped

·         1 ½ Lbs. Ground Pork

·         3 Sweet Apples, Peeled, Cored, and Grated

·         2 Tbs. of Apple Juice (or cider)

·         ¼ tsp. Nutmeg

·         1 Tbs. Sage

·         Salt and Pepper

FOR EGG WASH:

·         1 Egg Yolk, Beaten

·         1 Tbs. Cold Water

DIRECTIONS:

FOR DOUGH:

To make the dough, mix your flour shortening (or lard), and salt until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.  Add 6 Tbs. cold water, a little at a time, and bring together into a ball.  Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

FOR THE FILLING:

Heat olive oil in a skillet and fry the onion and pancetta (or proscuitto) for 5 minutes, until soft but not fully brown.  Set aside to cool.  Mix the pork, apples, apple juice, nutmeg, and spices together in a large bowl well by hand.  Mix in cooled onion mixture by hand.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Split the dough ball in half.  Roll out one ball of the dough on a well-floured surface into a large circle, about ¼ inch thick, and use it to line a baking sprayed 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Make sure to overlap your edges.  Trim all but ½ inch of the overhanging dough.  Use your fingers to push the dough down into the corners of the pan.

Pile the filling into the tart crust, pressing it down firmly.  Roll out the remaining piece of dough to make a circle large enough to cover the filling.  Brush the edges with a little of the egg mixture, placing the top on the pie, and press down firmly to seal.  Crimp the edges by rolling the edges under towards the center.  Brush the top with the remaining egg and poke two holes in the top of the pie to vent.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, until golden brown.  Set the pie aside to cool fully.  Before serving, carefully push the bottom of the tart pan upward to remove the pie from the pan.  Serve with the tart pan bottom underneath to help stabilize when cutting.  This pie can be stored well wrapped in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days.