Pies in Hua Hin

[Sabai Jai]

I always thought the Best pies are made by Barry at Victoria on Soi 80 - quite a variety too not just pork pie

[Siani]

I have never eaten a traditional pork pie hot. I would imagine if eaten straight from the oven it maybe ok. To me pork pies have that jelly on the top of the meat inside, that would melt if re-heated. If you microwave the "water crust pastry" it goes soggy.

I prefer them cold.

They are also very unhealthy!! High in fat, salt and calories. But delicious!!!

History:

A pork pie is a traditional British cold meat pie. It consists of roughly chopped pork and pork jelly sealed in a hot water crust pastry. It is normally eaten as a snack or with a salad.

Over the centuries, the Melton Mowbray area developed a very high concentration of cheese production in particular Stilton Cheese which has European Protected Status. The development of the diary industry was encouraged by the Enclosure Awards of the 1700’s which incidentally created the perfect foxhunting environment. Whey, a by-product of the cheese industry, was an ideal food for pigs so pork became a common feature of the Melton diet. Originally baked in a clay pot covered with a rough pastry, the pork pie evolved to resemble a “parcel” of pastry wrapped around a pork filling. This allowed the pie to be carried whilst at work (agricultural workers, grooms and hunt servants would often carry them), and the pastry case was discarded before eating.

In the late 1700’s foxhunting developed in the Melton area, Melton Mowbray becoming the centre for the three famous local hunts (Quorn, Cottesmore and Belvior) and the capital of foxhunting in England. The local pork pie was “discovered” by visiting hunters who saw their grooms and servants eating it during the 1780’s. It was particularly noticed because the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie differed from other types of pies the visitors saw elsewhere.

The pie developed further, a hot water crust pastry was used as the edible casing raised by hand around a bottle or wooden dolly, hence the expression hand raising a pie. The meat of the pie when cooked was grey in colour, not pink, because the hunting season coincided with the slaughter over the autumn and winter months of local pigs, and the associated production of pork pies. The pies were baked free standing which gave their bow shaped appearance when they came out of the oven. Bonestock jelly was added to the hot pies to fill all the air spaces to preserve the meat inside the pie longer and to ensure the pie did not crumble when carried by huntsmen riding over ditches. The fresh meat, grey when cooked, seasoned with salt and pepper, crunchy pastry, succulent jelly and the distinctive bow-shape of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie distinguished it from all other pork pies.

Different pies

Common pie
The common pie uses cured meat, giving the inside filling a pink colour. They are often produced in moulds or forms, giving the outside of the pie a very regular shape. It is easier, simpler and cheaper to produce in volume, and hence the more common choice for commercial manufacturers.
Melton Mowbray pork pie


Melton Mowbray pork pie

The Melton Mowbray pork pie is named after Melton Mowbray, a town in Leicestershire. Melton pies became popular among fox hunters in the area in the late eighteenth century.

The uncured meat of a Melton pie is grey in colour when cooked; the meat is chopped, rather than minced. The pie is made with a hand-formed crust, giving the pie a slightly irregular shape after baking. As the pies are baked free-standing, the sides bow outwards, rather than being vertical as with mould-baked pies.

[Big Boy]

I always thought the Best pies are made by Barry at Victoria on Soi 80 - quite a variety too not just pork pie

I find some of Barry's stuff excellent (fish n'chips and mushy peas - the best in Hua Hin by far), but other products I've found mediocre at best. Of course, as already stated, we all have different tastes. I've not tried his Pork Pies, so excellent or mediocre? I can't comment.

[Big Boy]

I have never eaten a traditional pork pie hot. I would imagine if eaten straight from the oven it maybe ok. To me pork pies have that jelly on the top of the meat inside, that would melt if re-heated. If you microwave the "water crust pastry" it goes soggy.

I prefer them cold.

If you've never tried it hot, how do you know

When I went to my first pie n'peas evening, I was horrified at the thought of a hot pork pie. However, thousands of Geordies can't be wrong. I was an immediate convert.

[Siani]

I have never eaten a traditional pork pie hot. I would imagine if eaten straight from the oven it maybe ok. To me pork pies have that jelly on the top of the meat inside, that would melt if re-heated. If you microwave the "water crust pastry" it goes soggy.

I prefer them cold.

If you've never tried it hot, how do you know

When I went to my first pie n'peas evening, I was horrified at the thought of a hot pork pie. However, thousands of Geordies can't be wrong. I was an immediate convert.

Quite right BB
Mmmmmmmm thousands of Geordies might be wrong Not sure about that one either!
I am suprised that the HH Ham and Bacon don't make them, seems to be a high demand for the product

[StevePIraq]

Must say this really has been a great free advertising campaign, well done.

[STEVE G]

Must say this really has been a great free advertising campaign, well done.

It might of been until people mentioned Geordies eating them hot with mushy peas which has made me feel slightly sick, I don't think I'll eat a pork pie again.

[Big Boy]

I am suprised that the HH Ham and Bacon don't make them, seems to be a high demand for the product

They do, the photo I posted of Pie and peas did come from HHH&B.

[caller]

I enjoy an occasional pork pie and always enjoyed visiting local butchers when traveling around the UK to try their home made versions. Some were legendry, some were crap. I always eat my pies with Colmans English mustard.

Never tried one of Dave's but will get around to that in due course. In Korat, there is 'Korat chef' catering to the local expats and most of their small range is fine, but I was blown away by their pork pies, I couldn't believe how good they were, but then the quality went a bit hit and miss. So a bit of a consistency issue there, not sure the reason for that. They all come frozen.

But a bonus here in Thailand is that the supermarket at Central Chit Lom and various TOPS supermarkets sell Dickinson & Morris Melton Mowbrey Pork Pies, either as a pack of 6 mini pork pies, or their large pie. Not cheap, but that hasn't stopped me buying one as an occasional treat!

[arcadianagain]

OK if that has exhausted the great pork pie mystery maybe we should get onto pasties. Documents have shown that they originated in Devon but the Cornish seem to have hijacked the idea. Before anyone gets onto the fact that they were first used by Cornish tin miners, Devon had tin mines as well. Discuss.

[Dannie Boy]

OK if that has exhausted the great pork pie mystery maybe we should get onto pasties. Documents have shown that they originated in Devon but the Cornish seem to have hijacked the idea. Before anyone gets onto the fact that they were first used by Cornish tin miners, Devon had tin mines as well. Discuss.

A great snack when eaten between warm and hot - going on how he likes his Pork Pies served hot, I bet BB likes his pasties cold!!

[Siani]

I agree Bristolian, and there are some very poor versions available in Hua Hin - the one my son suffered being the worst. Wrong pastry, wrong filling etc., etc.

I used to love the pie & pea evenings in the NE of England - absolutely fantastic. The perfect accompaniment to a quiz night.

NOKYAI's Wiki link, didn't refer to pie & peas. IMHO the only way to eat a Pork Pie.

Before you ask, my own version of pie & peas made here in Hua Hin:

20150613_172203_1.jpg

Well, I would look no further It looks a great pork pie to me, hot or cold
HH Ham and Bacon you have a great review here!

[dtaai-maai]

Posted in error... (-ish)

[Khundon1975]

Wish I could have found a shop selling good pork pies a few years back
Now it seems there are pork pies all over Hua Hin.
Just taken delivery of pies from sister, all types and sizes, including Pork Pies.

For those that think that PP's can only be eaten cold, think on.
When I'm up there, I always have one still hot from the oven, just after the pork jelly
goes in. A great start to anyone's day.

http://www.higginsonsofgrange.co.uk/sho ... y/15/Pies/

[Big Boy]

I bet BB likes his pasties cold!!

Slightly warm, with lashings of brown sauce

Oh, and I like decent Pork Pies, full stop. Generally cold, but if there's mushy peas, warm or hot is good.