Friar Tuck's Mock Venison Pastry Pie

Ingredients

• 2 whole Mutton breast, chop ends, large and fat (Can substitute lamb shoulder or beef chuck roast)
• 4 ounces Lean bacon, cut into narrow strips for larding (For larding the meat)
• 4 ounces Corned tongue, cut into narrow strips for larding (Can substitute prosciutto or omit)
• 1 tablespoon Onion juice (Grate onion and squeeze through cheesecloth)
• 1 dessertspoon Ginger juice (Grate fresh ginger and squeeze through cheesecloth)
• 0.5 teaspoon Garlic juice (Crush garlic and squeeze through cheesecloth)
• 1 teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground (For stock seasoning)
• 2 teaspoons Salt (Divided for stock and dredging)
• 2 tablespoons Mixed soup herbs (parsley, thyme, bay leaf) (Fresh or dried mixed herbs)
• 2 whole Mace blades (Whole mace pieces)
• 6 whole Allspice berries, whole (Whole berries)
• 6 sticks Cinnamon sticks, small (Small pieces)
• 3 cups All-purpose flour (For dredging and pastry (2.5 lbs total))
• 0.5 pound Semolina (soojee) (Fine semolina flour)
• 4 tablespoons Lard (For frying)
• 1 pound Veal, lean (For pastry filling)
• 1 pound Beef udder (Can substitute beef suet or butter)
• 0.5 teaspoon White pepper, ground (For pastry seasoning)
• 1 whole Eggs, whole (For binding pastry)
• 8 ounces Veal, minced (For sausage roll)
• 8 ounces Beef udder, minced (Can substitute ground pork fat or beef suet)

Instructions

1. 1Remove bones from two large fat mutton breasts. Wash, clean, and dry the meat thoroughly. Using a larding needle, lard the meat well with narrow strips of lean bacon and corned tongue. Cut the meat into 12 well-shaped chops and trim them neatly.
2. 2Combine 1 tablespoon onion juice, 1 dessertspoon ginger juice, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic juice in a shallow dish. Place the 12 prepared chops in this marinade and steep them, turning occasionally to coat evenly.
3. 3Using the other side of the mutton and all the rejected bones, make a strong broth. Place bones and meat scraps in a large pot with water to cover. Season well with pepper, salt, and soup herbs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Remove scum as it rises and skim away all fat. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing through some of the lean meat but rejecting all fat.
4. 4Return the strained stock to the pot and simmer until it thickens to a gravy consistency. Add 2 blades of mace, 6 allspice berries, and 6 small cinnamon sticks. Continue simmering to infuse the spices.
5. 5Take 1 pound veal and 1 pound udder. Pick, clean, and wash them thoroughly. Chop finely, then mince and pound in a mortar until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper. Beat 1 egg (yolk and white) well and add to the mixture to bind it. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, rejecting anything that won't pass through. Form the strained mixture into a flat circular cake.
6. 6Combine 2.5 pounds flour with 0.5 pound semolina (soojee) and a little salt. Knead well to form a dough. Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each into a flat circular cake the same size as the veal and udder cake.
7. 7Place the veal and udder cake between the two dough cakes. Roll out the three layers together very carefully. Double up the whole laminated pastry and roll it out again. The pastry is now ready to use.
8. 8Line a deep metal pie dish thickly with the prepared pastry, reserving sufficient for the upper crust. Build up the sides and edges of the dish high with the pastry.
9. 9Mince together 8 ounces veal and 8 ounces udder. Season with salt and pepper. Using ordinary pie-crust pastry, enclose the minced mixture to form a sausage roll 6 inches long and 2.25 inches thick. Slice the roll into 12 equal slices, each about 1/2 inch thick.
10. 10Remove the 12 chops from the marinade. Mix flour with pepper and salt, and dredge the chops well in this seasoned flour. Heat 4 tablespoons of lard in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the chops until light brown on both sides. Remove carefully and set aside.
11. 11In the same pan with remaining fat, dredge the 12 sausage slices with flour and fry them lightly until slightly browned on both sides. Remove and set aside.
12. 12Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In the pastry-lined pie dish, lay 6 slices of sausage at the bottom. Place 6 mutton chops over the sausage layer. Add another layer of the remaining 6 sausage slices. Top with the remaining 6 mutton chops. Pour in enough of the spiced stock to fill the pie dish nearly to the top.
13. 13Cover the pie with the reserved pastry, crimping the edges to seal. Cut a small vent hole in the center to allow steam to escape. Bake in the preheated oven for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. If the crust browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
14. 14Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting. This allows the filling to set and makes serving easier. Serve hot.