Traditional Pork Pie

Combine the diced pork shoulder, streaky bacon, and pork belly in a large bowl. Add the fine salt, black pepper, white pepper, mace, nutmeg, thyme, sage, and anchovy paste. Mix firmly with your hands until the seasoning is evenly distributed and the mixture begins to feel slightly tacky.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the filling for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to allow the flavours to develop.

Make the hot water crust pastry: combine the lard, whole milk, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the lard is fully melted and the liquid is just beginning to boil, about 4 minutes.

Pour the hot liquid immediately into the sifted flour and salt, then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth, pliable dough forms.

Knead the dough gently for 1 minute until it comes together into a smooth ball. Work while the dough is still warm — do not allow it to cool before shaping.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Cut off one-quarter of the dough, cover it, and set aside for the lid. On a lightly floured surface, press the remaining three-quarters of dough into a greased 15cm round springform or loose-bottomed cake tin, working it evenly up the sides to a thickness of about 5mm, with a 1cm overhang at the top.

Pack the chilled filling firmly into the pastry case, pressing down with your knuckles to eliminate any air pockets. Mound the filling slightly in the centre.

Roll the reserved dough into a circle large enough to cover the top of the pie. Lay it over the filling, crimp the edges together with the overhang, and press firmly to seal. Brush the lid thoroughly with beaten egg wash. Cut a 1cm hole in the centre of the lid to allow steam to escape during baking.

Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes until the pastry is set and beginning to turn golden.

Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C (150°C fan) and continue baking for a further 75 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the filling by inserting a meat thermometer through the steam hole in the lid — the filling must reach at least 63°C before removing the pie from the oven.

Remove the pie from the oven and leave it to cool completely in the tin at room temperature, approximately 2 hours. Do not refrigerate yet.

Make the pork jelly: soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, heat the stock in a small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. Remove from the heat, squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and stir it into the hot stock along with the Worcestershire sauce until fully dissolved. Season with salt and black pepper, then set aside to cool to room temperature but not set.

Using a small funnel or piping bag inserted into the steam hole in the lid, slowly pour the cooled jelly into the pie a little at a time, pausing between pours to allow it to percolate down through the filling. Continue until the pie will accept no more jelly.

Refrigerate the pie, uncovered, for at least 8 hours or overnight until the jelly is fully set. Slice and serve cold.