Why it works: Flour and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Paste for Raised Pies
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slack oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the hot-water crust
Melt the lard with the cold water over low heat in a saucepan.
On a clean surface, place the flour and make a well in the center.
Gradually pour in the melted lard and water mixture, mixing with a wooden spoon.
Knead the mixture into a stiff paste, adding flour to prevent sticking.
Roll the paste into a smooth ball for use.
Fill and assemble
Cut the pork loin into chops, removing bones and rind.
Season the chops with white pepper, salt, and cayenne.
Roll out the paste to form a base about 9 inches wide and 4 inches high.
Place the seasoned pork chops into the crust.
Roll out another piece of paste to cover the top, wet the edges, and seal it.
Bake and serve
Brush the top with beaten egg, cover with paper, and bake at 300°F (150°C) for 2½ hours.
Let the pie cool; it can be stored for 3-4 days and served cold.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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White pepper + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,312 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyraldehyde (malty, chocolate).
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Flour + white peppertop 32% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,228 recipes
Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lard
- Adds fat that keeps the crust tender and short when melted into the flour.
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the gluten network that gives the crust its structure and stiff, sliceable body.
- Pork loin (in the method)
- Provides the main filling, cooking through slowly in the sealed crust.
- Egg
- Beaten egg brushed on top gives the crust a golden, glossy browning.
The step that matters
Seal the pie and bake covered at low heat. The edges must be wet and sealed so steam and juices stay in; baking slowly at 300°F lets the pork cook through without drying out or the crust over-browning.
Swap the white pepper
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, egg):
- Jalapenofits better
- Capersfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- White pepperthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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