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Pork pies are a popular favourite around Christmas time, indeed many households wouldnâ€™t be without one. In the north of England itâ€™s a tradition for a big pork pie - â€œstand pieâ€ -Ìýto beÌýthe centrepiece of the Boxing day meal or the New Year feast.Ìý Even the Queen is catching on. Last year Her Royal Highness ordered a 4 pound pork pie to grace the festive table. So whatâ€™s the secret of a perfect pork pie? Can you make one yourself â€“ or is it better to rely on the experts and buy one?

Chris Hawksworth visited Knightâ€™s butchers shop, in Marsden near Huddersfield and met Elizabeth Knight, her daughter Celia and her sister-in-law Judith, all up at the crack of dawn on pie making day.

TV cook Annie Stirk will joining Jenni in the studio to show herÌýhow to make a pork pie.
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PORK PIE

For the Filling:
350g coarsely chopped pork shoulder
125g unsmoked back bacon
1 tsp chopped fresh sage or Â½ tsp dried sage
1 tsp fresh thyme
Â¼ tsp ground allspice
Dash of anchovy essence
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the hot water crust pastry
225g strong plain flour
Good pinch of salt
50ml water
75g lard

For the jelly
300ml chicken stock
1 gelatine leaf soaked in a little of the cold stock

For glazing
1 large egg yolk

Method:

Coarsely chop the pork shoulder and the bacon in a food processor. (It is a good idea to use the pulse button so that you end up with a chopped rather than a minced texture).
Add the sage, thyme, allspice and anchovy essence. Season with salt and pepper.
For the pastry: place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Place the water in a small saucepan. Dice the lard into cubes, and add to the water.
Place the pan over a gentle heat to melt the lard. Turn up the heat, bring the liquid to the boil and then immediately pour it onto the flour.
Mix well together with a wooden spoon and then turn the dough out onto a board and knead it. It is important to work with the dough while it is still warm.
Divide the dough into quarters.
Cut a third of the pastry off each quarter and save this for the lid.
Meanwhile, take a jam jar and grease it lightly.
Using a little flour, flatten the dough out with your hands, and then stand the jam jar on the pastry. Working quickly, mould the pastry approx. a third of the way up the jam jar.
Carefully remove the jam jar and then pack a quarter of the meat tightly into the pastry case.
Continue with the remaining pieces of dough until you have four pies.
Roll the remaining pieces of pastry to form lids. Brush each pie rim well with the beaten egg yolk.
Place the lids on the pies and flute with your fingers to seal really well.
Brush the tops of the pies with the remaining egg yolk.
Using a sharp knife, make a hole in the lid to allow the steam to escape.
Bake for approx. 1 Â¼ hours on Gas Mark 4/180C, reducing the heat to 170C if using a fan oven.
You may need to cover the top and sides of the pie with a piece of foil if it looks as if it is browning too much.
Heat the stock in a saucepan and then stir in the soaked gelatine leaf.
Whisk, until dissolved. Cool for 10 mins and then pour the liquid through the hole in the pastry lid. Leave in a cool place overnight.

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