Why it works: Pork and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,386 recipes. Both carry 4-heptenal, which smells creamy, biscuit. The science ↓
Raised Pork Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Season the pork
Sprinkle the diced pork with salt and pepper.
Make the dough
Heat the lard and milk (or water) in a saucepan until boiling.
Pour the hot lard and milk over the flour.
Add a pinch of salt and mix well to form a dough.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface.
Knead the dough.
Cut off a quarter of the dough.
Assemble and bake
Shape the remaining dough into a shallow jar.
Place the seasoned meat inside the dough jar.
Roll out the remaining dough to cover the top of the pie.
Trim the edges of the dough.
Use scraps to make decorative leaves.
Make a hole in the center of the pie.
Place the decorative leaves on top of the pie.
Brush the top with egg yolk.
Bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for two hours.
Finish and serve
Serve the pie cold.
Boil the bones from the meat with a little water, pepper, and salt.
Pour the liquid into the pie after baking.
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.
-
Pork + milktop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,386 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-heptenal (creamy, biscuit).
-
Milk + flourtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Pork + peppertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together22,121 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Milk and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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
- Pork
- Forms the savory filling that cooks through inside the crust.
- Lard
- Adds fat that keeps the crust tender and short after baking.
- Milk
- Adds moisture to the crust dough and helps bind it with the flour.
- Flour
- Forms the structure of the crust, with its starch setting as it bakes.
- Egg yolk
- Brushed on top to promote browning and a glossy finish.
The step that matters
Pour the hot lard and milk over the flour. The liquid must be boiling so the fat melts and the hot liquid gelatinizes the flour's starch, making the dough pliable enough to shape by hand.
“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.
More pork pie recipes
You might also like
Pork Cake107 recipes
Roast Pork82 recipes
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.