Take a pound of meat, fat and lean, from the chump end of a fine
fore-loin of pork, cut it into neat dice, mix a tablespoonful of water
with it, and season with a large teaspoonful of salt and a small one of
black pepper. To make the crust, boil a quarter of a pound of lard or
clarified dripping in a gill and a half of water, and pour it hot on to
one pound of flour, to which a good pinch of salt has been added. Mix
into a stiff paste, pinch off enough of it to make the lid, and keep it
hot. Flour your board and work the paste into a ball, then with the
knuckles of your right hand press a hole in the centre, and mould the
paste into a round or oval shape, taking care to keep it a proper
thickness. Having put in the meat, join the lid to the pie, which raise
lightly with both hands so as to keep it a good high shape, cut round
the edge with a sharp knife, and make the trimmings into leaves to
ornament the lid; and having placed these on, with a rose in the centre,
put the pie on a floured baking-sheet and brush it over with yolk of
egg.
The crust of the pie should be cool and set before putting it into the
oven, which should be a moderate heat. When the gravy boils out the pie
is done. An hour and a half will bake a pie of this size. Make a little
gravy with the bones and trimmings of the pork, and to half-a-pint of it
add a quarter of an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine, and nicely season with
pepper and salt. When the pie is cold remove the rose from the top, make
a little hole, insert a small funnel, and pour in as much gravy as the
pie will hold. Replace the rose on the top, and put the pie on a dish
with a cut paper.
If preferred, the pie can be made in a tin mould; but the crust is nicer
raised by the hand. A great point to observe is to begin moulding the
crust whilst it is hot, and to get it finished as quickly as possible.