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Recipe: Chef Michael & Anna Olson’s Pork-a-Leeky Pie

For me, Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is synonymous with chefs Michael & Anna Olson; the duo has been presenting at CIN for the past 13 years.

For the past three years, Alberta Pork has proudly sponsored Michael & Anna’s daily session, and for the past two years, an afternoon grilling session featuring a variety of cuts including pork ribs, chops, and double-roasted pork belly (stay tuned for upcoming blog posts with those recipes).

At this year’s #JasperCIN, Michael and Anna shared a meat pie recipe that is great for a crowd, and even better served chilled as a lunch the next day. Michael compared the finished meat pie to a curling rock which will hold up during travels you have during your holidays. It may take some time to assemble, but it is certainly worth it!

Pork-a-Leekie Pie

1 Alberta Pork hock (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 large leeks
1 recipe – double-crust pie dough, divided into two discs (1/3 and 2/3 of dough) and chilled
1 lb ground Alberta Pork
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
2 large eggs
1 cup ham stock (reserved from cooking ham hock)
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1 egg +2 tbsp water for brushing

Place the ham hock in a pot and cover with water. Bring it to a simmer and cook for an hour, uncovered over medium heat. Remove the hock to cool and reserve the liquid.

Wash and trim the leeks, then cut the white part into 3 cm slices. Poach these in the ham hock stock uncovered over medium heat for 20 minutes, until they are tender. Remove the leeks with a slotted spoon to drain and set aside the stock.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger disc of pie dough into a circle about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick and line the bottom and sides of an ungreased 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan so that the dough hangs over the side a little. Roll out the smaller disc to a circle that is about 10 inches (25 cm) across and 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, and cut out several holes to vent steam as the pie is cooking. Place this on a parchment-lined baking try and chill this and the pastry-lined pan for 20 minutes.

Remove the meat from the ham hock bone, trim away any skin or tough stuff and discard; dice the meat into bite-sized pieces. Blend together the ground diced ham, eggs, ham stock, and bread crumbs. Press half of the ground meat mixture into the pastry-lined springform pan and make 6 slight indentations in a circle using the back on a tablespoon or ice cream scoop to hold the eggs. Place the hard cooked eggs into these spaces and then pack in the remainder of the meat mixture to cover the eggs. Place the top layer of pastry directly over the meat, and pinch the edges to seal, trimming off the excess dough. Make a mark to be able to slice through each of the portions revealing the egg once sliced.

Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F (180C) and bake about an hour, until an internal temperature of 150F (66C). Let the pie cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing into 12 wedges, or allow to cool completely and then chill overnight to serve cold.

Double Crust Pie Dough

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup cool unsalted butter, cut into pieces (does not have to be ice cold)
1/4 cup cool water
2 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice

Combine the flour, sugar and salt together. Add the oil and blend in using a pastry cutter, electric beaters or a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until the flour looks evenly crumbly in texture.

Add the butter and cut in until rough and crumbly, but small pieces of butter are still visible. Stir the water and vinegar (or lemon juice) together and add all at once to the flour mixture, mixing just until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into 2 disks, wrap and chill until firm, at least an hour.

Storage: the dough can en made up to 2 days ahead and stored chilled, or can be frozen for up to 3 months, thawing in the fridge before rolling.