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Natchitoches Pork Pies

Source of Recipe

From "Pig: King of the Southern Table" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"Natchitoches (pronounced NACK-i-tosh) would be only a dot on the map of central Louisiana were it not for the distinctive half-moon meat pies that a place called Lasyone's has been producing since 1966 (and more recently, shipping all over the country). The spicy fried turnovers can be made with beef, pork, or a combination of the two meats, but never have I had better luck than when using only full-flavored ground pork shoulder with just the right ratio of lean meat to fat. Of course, the original recipe is still a secret to everyone but James Lasyone and his two daughters, but he does disclose that what matters most is not the filling but the fried dough, which should never be greasy. To accomplish this, be sure to use a deep-fat thermometer, maintain the heat of the oil at 350° F, and fry the pies just till they turn golden."

List of Ingredients

For the filling:
â—¦ 2 tablespoons peanut oil
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds ground pork shoulder
â—¦ ½ cup chopped scallions (part of green tops included)
â—¦ 1 clove garlic, minced
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ¾ cup all-purpose flour

For the pastry:
â—¦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 teaspoon baking powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
â—¦ 1 large egg, beaten
â—¦ â…“ cup milk
â—¦ 1 cup peanut oil for deep frying


Recipe

To make the filling, heat the oil in a large skillet over moderate heat, add the pork, scallions, and garlic, and cook, stirring and breaking up the pork till it loses all traces of pink color, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining filling ingredients and continue to cook, stirring, till the mixture is almost dry, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, let cool, and then chill.

To make the pastry, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, add the shortening, and cut with a pastry cutter till the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the egg and milk and stir till a ball of dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, roll out about ½ inch thick with a floured rolling pin, and, using a clean empty coffee can, cut out rounds of dough.

To assemble the pies, place a heaping tablespoon of filling on one side of each round of dough. With your fingertips, dampen the pie edges with water, fold the other side of the dough over the filling, and seal the edges with a fork dipped in water. Prick twice on top with a fork.

To fry, heat the oil in a medium cast-iron skillet to about 350° F, quickly fry each pie till golden, about 2 minutes on each side, and drain briefly on paper towels.

Serve hot.

Makes about 18 small pies