Instead of being served hot from the oven, pork pies are often served at room temperature. When served with a side salad, pork pies are also well-liked as snacks or as an alternative to meals.
Pork flesh that has been crushed or roughly chopped makes up the majority of hog pie. Before being covered in jellied pork stock, pig flesh is combined with pork fat. A hot water crust pastry crust that envelops and covers the entire mixture is then placed over the pork, either in a wrapper or in a dish.
How Long will a Pork Pie Last in the Fridge?
Pork pies must be kept in the fridge and eaten within three days of being opened as well as before their expiration date. This holds true for handmade pies as well.
Remember that it’s best to freeze your pork pie as soon as you can after making or purchasing it when deciding whether or not to do so. Make sure to go by any instructions on the packaging as some store-bought pork pies aren’t suitable for home freezing.
Eat any leftovers within a few days after wrapping them in plastic wrap. Fruit, pumpkin, pecan, custard, and chiffon pies can be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3–4 days in accordance with the chart and FDA regulations. However, it’s ideal to consume pies as soon as possible, especially fruit pies.
How to Make Pork Pie at Home?
To show you what we’re up against, we thought we’d guide you through the preparation of a pork pie. With this straightforward recipe, we’ll demonstrate how to prepare a classic pork pie. The purpose of this recipe is merely to serve as an illustration; keep in mind that not all recipes are created equal.
The crust, the meat, and the jelly are the three components of a pork pie. Each component has its own set of steps and instructions to follow in order to reach the desired result. You’ll need to set aside some time to effectively make homemade pork pies.
For the pork, a pork butt or pork shoulder is one of the better options, however, you can use other cuts as well.
First, prepare the hot water crust pastry. In this situation, working with slightly warm pastry is preferred. Set the oven’s temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For 20 minutes, bake your flour in a basin that may be used in the oven. You are merely warming it; you are not cooking it.
Bring the water and fat to a boil in a saucepan to melt the lard. Add the flour and salt to the mixture once the fat has melted. Use a wooden spoon to combine and stir.
As soon as the dough has cooled enough to handle, knead it.
Roll out the pie crust with a rolling pin or cut it into individual crusts. In an oven-safe baking dish, put the item.
Start preparing the pork gelatin. You can use pig trotters or sheets of gelatin. The trotters should preferably be simmered in a slow cooker for 4 to 8 hours before being drained to extract the jelly and pork stock. As an alternative, you might purchase and use pork stock.
It’s now time to prepare the pies and cook the meat. Slice the pig’s flesh thinly and add salt and pepper to taste. By breaking up the mixture, you can also include fat in it.
The minced beef should be put within the pastry casing. Spread it evenly or pile it high in the middle to create a dome. Put the top pastry crust layer on top. To later add the jelly, make a sizable hole in the puff pastry’s middle. the crust with an egg wash.
Bake the pies for 20 minutes after preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake for a further 50 minutes after lowering the heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the internal temperature of the pork reaches 165 degrees.
Let the food reach room temperature. Place in the fridge to finish cooling. Completely.
When the pies are cold enough to handle, use a funnel to fill the pie’s center hole with pig stock. The pork stock needs to be warmed up.
Put the pork pies back in the refrigerator to chill. The pig jelly needs to have time to solidify, so leave them in the refrigerator overnight.
Cool completely before serving.
Pork pie making is a simple task that takes a lot of time and effort. You’ll need techniques to keep food fresh if you’re going to put in that much work for something delicious!
How to Store and Freeze Pork Pies?
When the pork pies are finished, keeping them isn’t too challenging. If you’re keeping them in the refrigerator, wrap them in parchment paper and place them in a container that is tightly closed.
Consider freezing those pork pies if you won’t be consuming or using them within five days. They are easy to freeze and can be stored for several months in the freezer.
Even better, make large quantities of individual pork pies and then defrost them one at a time as needed.
We advise wrapping your pork pies three times to keep them as fresh as possible. Start by enclosing the pork pie with one sheet of parchment or freezer paper.
Once the first layer of wrapping is finished, enclose the pork pies with a sheet of aluminum foil to preserve the crust and jelly.
Pork pies can be stored in the freezer for up to four months if you carefully follow these instructions.
Pork pies may be frozen very easily. Although they are protected by three layers of ice, the process is still simple.
Making Use of Freeze-Dried Pork Pies
Pork pies are typically served chilled or at room temperature, so thawing them after freezing is also a simple process. You should allow plenty of time for yourself to defrost.
The frozen pork pies should be removed from the freezer.
Remove the pork pie’s top layer of protection, which should be an airtight container or a freezer bag.
Keep the pork pie wrapped in paper and foil while it defrosts.
Refrigerate the wrapped pork pies for about 24 hours to allow them to defrost.
About an hour before serving, take the pork pie out of the refrigerator and unwrap it. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour for the best flavor.
Is it Ok to Eat Pork Pie Past its Sell-by Date?
The use-by date on food is intended to guarantee its safety. The most important date to remember is this one. Food can be consumed up to the use-by date and up to that point only. Foods that spoil rapidly, such as meat and ready-to-eat salads, will have use-by dates.
The use-by date is only trustworthy guidance if you closely adhere to storage instructions. Keep the food in a refrigerator at 5 degrees Celsius or lower if the package directs you to do so after opening, for instance. Find out more about cooling food correctly.
Food that has passed its use-by date should not be consumed, cooked, or frozen. Even if the food has been properly stored and seems to smell and taste great, it still might not be safe to eat or drink. Plan ahead though, as many products, like milk and meat, can be frozen before they go bad.
What About the Shelf Life of Homemade Pies?
The pie gurus at Pillsbury advise wrapping custard and cream pies in plastic wrap and storing them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
The United States Department of Agriculture is in favor of this. Additionally, they advise discarding all perishable items that have been left at room temperature for longer than two hours because, between 40F (4C) and 140F (40C), bacteria proliferate swiftly (60oC).
However, according to Betty Crocker, storing fruit-filled pies at room temperature for no more than two days is OK. The pies must then be kept in the fridge.
However, Betty Crocker suggests that you always keep fruit pies in the refrigerator if you reside in a warmer climate. Therefore, look out for the weather forecast before setting out your pies.
Place any cream, custard, pumpkin, mousse, chiffon, or other pies containing eggs or dairy in the refrigerator as soon as they have cooled. The fridge will keep them fresh for up to two days. (Delicious pies, like quiche, are also featured.)
Fruit pies can be kept at room temperature for up to two days. If you need to store them longer, wrap them in plastic and place them in the refrigerator for up to two days. (But we don’t think they’ll last that long.)
How to Tell Pork Pie has Gone Bad?
The Meat’s Smell Speaks for Itself
This is the most straightforward and traditional way to tell rotten meat from fresh meat. It’s important to remember that once germs invade the meat, major chemical and structural changes frequently result.
The scenario gets worse the more it attacks the pig. This can significantly affect the pig’s color and aroma even before you cook it. The color will be discussed a little later, and the aroma can range from ammonia- to sulfur-like.
It’s critical to differentiate between this smell and the one connected to vacuum-packed meat. Normally, after being rinsed in cold water, the smell of vacuum-packed pork immediately goes away.
Watch for Color Changes
Fresh pork typically has a reddish color and a few white strands. But the hue of the spoiled flesh shifts from brownish to grey and occasionally greenish. This makes it quite evident why you should never buy pork in the first place.
The main reason for this color change is the presence of yeast. In addition to yeast, you might also need to be cautious about protein degradation, mold, and the emergence of freezer burns.
International specialists agree that fresh meat should have a reddish color. If improper storage techniques or prolonged storage are employed, this hue may fade or even darken over time, signaling that the breakdown process is still ongoing.
Indications of Poor Storage
The way that pork is preserved before you purchase it might reveal a lot about how good or bad it will be. As a result, if you enter a grocery store and are greeted by a swarm of houseflies and an unpleasant odor, things may be quite wrong.
Likewise, if you enter the store and discover that the meat is being stored under less-than-ideal conditions, it is time to leave.
Choosing fresh meat that has been properly kept is essentially what you want to do. Meat shouldn’t be kept in the refrigerator for more than four days, according to chefs worldwide.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering how to store a pork pie in the fridge, you’re in luck. The pie has a secret ingredient that’s been around for centuries: anchovy essence! This flavorful pork pie is so good that people from all over the world travel to the village to enjoy a slice. To make a Melton Mowbray pork pie at home, follow these simple steps:
First, make sure to refreeze your pie. Refrigerating a pork pie will kill bacteria, but it may cause the meat to get soggy. Fortunately, this change won’t be noticeable and won’t affect the taste and texture. Pork pies are traditionally eaten cold, and defrosting them is a snap! Once defrosted, cut the pie into portions and enjoy!
