Bombur’s Pork Pies | Traditional Melton Mowbray Style Pork Pie Recipe from The Hobbit
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Bombur’s Melton Mowbray Style Pork Pies from An Unexpected Party in The Hobbit
Bombur asks for pork pie at Bilbo’s Unexpected Party in The Hobbit. But if you’re planning your own Hobbit-inspired gathering, why not go all out with a traditional British pork pie—specifically, a Melton Mowbray-style hand-raised pork pie? Known for its distinctive shape, rich flavor, and jellied stock, this pie is a hearty addition to any Unexpected Party menu. Keep reading to discover what makes this recipe so unique and how you can recreate one of the most iconic recipes from The Hobbit for your own Middle-earth celebration.
Exclusive to Melton Mowbray
Technically Melton Mowbray pork pies are protected under UK and EU law as a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) product, so only pork pies made traditionally and near Melton Mowbray (near Leicestershire, UK) can use the name when branding their pies. The same way a Cornish Pasty can only be branded as such if made in Cornwall, and Champagne can only be sold if it comes from Champagne, France.
What sets a Melton Mowbray pork pie apart?
The shape: a Melton Mowbray pork pie bulges around the middle as they are freestanding when baked, with no pie pans or hoops used to keep the shape.
The meat
Colour: While some pork pies use cured meat to keep a pinkish hue, fresh pork is used in Melton Mowbray pork pies, naturally turning the meat grey after cooking.
Cut: Some recipes call for pork shoulder, others pork belly. Either way, these two cuts of pork are used due to their fat percentage. The perfect proportion for pork pie is one-third fat to two-thirds lean meat. The pork should be chopped, not minced or ground.
Seasoning: Anchovy essence is the special secret ingredient of a Melton Mowbray pie seasoning. The only other seasoning you need is salt and pepper.
The jelly: A jelly made of pork bone stock is used to fill all the air gaps. This does three things:
- reduces the amount of oxygen with access to the filling, keeping the pie from spoiling as quickly,
- keeps the pie moist and
- keeps the crust from crumbling and, therefore, the pie from falling apart.
The pastry: The pie crust is made using a hot water crust pastry, and formed using a pork pie dolly, a wooden pie crust shaper used when making traditional hand-raised pies. A beer bottle will do in a pinch.
Served: cold/room-temperature.
Recipe Notes
To stay true to the spirit of a traditional Melton Mowbray pie, this version uses chopped fresh pork, anchovy essence, and a rich jelly stock. It’s hand-shaped with hot water crust pastry and designed to be served cold—just as Bombur might have enjoyed it.
Tips for serving pork pies for your Hobbit party
Made as individual servings, pork pies are perfect finger food for your Hobbit party. And, as Bombur requests, delicious served with a salad on the side.
Know that everyone will have a preference on how they prefer pork pies! Melton Mowbray pork pies are meant to be eaten cold, as heating up the pies will melt the jelly, turning it into a liquidy mess.
- Make the pie dough and jellied stock two days before the party and chill in the fridge overnight.
- Cook the pork pies the day before, then store in the fridge.
- Bring the pork pies out half an hour before serving.
Hosting a Hobbit-Inspired Gathering?
Want the full Unexpected Party menu straight from The Hobbit, complete with recipes? From seed cakes to mince pies, recreate every bite Bombur, Bifur, and the gang devoured at Bag End from Bilbo’s pantry!
Quote
“And pork-pie and salad,” said Bombur.
– Chapter 1; An Unexpected Party, The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
Melton Mowbray Style Pork Pies | The Hobbit | An Unexpected Party
Ingredients
- 3.2 lb 1.5 kg pork shoulder with bone [if sold boneless buy 2.2lb / 1 kg pork and some pork bones]
- 1 tsp anchovy essence *
- salt and pepper
Bone jellied stock
- 1 pig’s trotter or hock **
- Bone from pork shoulder
- 1 brown onion peeled, roughly chopped
- 1 large carrot roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1/2 cup parsley
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- 3 litres cold water
Hot water crust pastry
- 1 pound / 450g lard
- 1 pint / 475ml water
- 3.3 lb / 1.5kg flour
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Remove bone from pork shoulder and set aside.
- Chop pork into 1cm cubes, stir in the anchovy essence and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in an airtight container in the fridge until ready for use.
Bone jellied stock
- In a large saucepan or dutch oven, place in pork bones and trotter, with the herbs, spices, chopped vegetables and cold water.
- Cover the pot and simmer on low for 3-4 hours.
- Strain the stock into a clean pot and simmer down to 500ml. ***
Hot water crust pastry
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the lard, then pour in the water and stir. Bring to a boil then pour into the flour and mix either in a mixer or with a wooden spoon until smooth and stiff.
- Older recipes recommend placing the dough in an earthen pan covered with a linen cloth near a fire. For those without, place in a warmed dutch oven or warmed glass bowl, cover with a clean warm dishtowel and place in a warm spot in your kitchen.
- Set aside for approximately half an hour, when the dough is still warm but cool enough to touch. ****
Pulling it all together
- If you’ve chilled your dough overnight, bring it back to room temperature.
- If using a beer bottle or jam jar, wash the outside, then grease and dust with flour.
- Tear off a handful of dough and roll out into a circle so even thickness.
- Place the bottle at the centre, then use your hands to roll the dough up. *****
- Gently remove the bottle. The pastry should stand up on its own.
- Press in the chopped pork mixture. [Do not fill with jelly yet.]
- Tear off another piece of pastry and roll to form a pastry lid.
- Place on top of pork pie and pinch edges together. Press a hole in the top to use later.
- Repeat until pork pies are formed, then place in the oven on 150C/300F for 1.5 hours.
- Before removing from the oven, heat up jellied stock to turn back into a liquid. As the pies come out of the oven, use a funnel to pour stock into the pie holes so full.
- Set aside to cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge.
Notes
References
- Davidson, Alan., et al. The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press, 2014.
- Grigson, J. English Food. Penguin Books, Limited, 1998
- The Hairy Biker’s via BBC
- White, F. Good Things in England. J. Cape, 1932 [Mr. Fred Wright’s Family Recipe, 1927 and Mrs. Loudon, 1851]
- Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe/ Dickinson and Morris of Melton Mowbray.
So, they are meant to be served cold? They seem like they would be lovely warm too. Would that compromise the integrity of the tradition? :)
In the book they’re served cold, although I’m sure they’re just as nice warm :)