Raised Pork Pie

Directions

1. Homemade Stock
2. Simmer all ingredients, covered with water, for several hours. Skim as you go when scum rises to the surface. Strain and cool in the refrigerator. Remove fat. Return to pan and reduce to 2 cups. Refrigerate. It should jell. If it doesn't, add some plain gelatine.

1. Raised Crust Pork Pie
2. Cube the pork shoulder, removing fat and skin. Grind about half the pork shoulder and mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate.
3. Preheat oven to 400. Combine flour and salt. Melt lard and water. When they come to a boil (watch carefully), pour into the flour and salt mixture. As soon as it coheres, turn it out onto a floured surface and lightly knead, about like a biscuit dough. It will be tough if you overwork it.
4. Roll out two thirds of the dough and line a deep dish pie pan. Spoon filling over the bottom crust. Rolll out the top crust and pinch the edges of the bottom crust and top crust together. You want a plain edge, not fluted or crimped.
5. Carefully cut a round hole in the middle of the top crust and hold it open with a rolled up piece of parchment paper or some aluminum foil.
6. Brush with egg yolk wash if desired and bake for half an hour. Lower heat to 350 and bake for another hour. Cool and remove the parchment paper from the hole in the middle of the top crust.
7. Warm the pork jell until it is just liquid and pour into the hole in the middle of the top crust, slowly and carefully. It is best to do this one spoonful at a time. Otherwise it doesn't seep out to the edges of the pie. Also, do not spoon it into a completely cold pie or it won't absorb well. If the pie is too hot, the stock melts into the bottom crust and the bottom crust is soggy. This is not an easy recipe and you will never make it again if you do not follow the directions and end up with a magnificent pie. You will not need all of the jellied stock, stop when the round hole is not dispersing the jell, about 3/4 to 1 cup.
8. Cover and refrigerate. When you serve it the stock will have jelled. This is a very filling pie. You only need a green salad and then a long walk before dessert. Someone else will bring the dessert, a non pastry dessert, maybe fresh fruit salad or chocolate dipped candied grapefruit peel served with espresso and Sambuca.