This pork and apple pie recipe brings savory pork, sweet apples, and tender chestnuts together under a golden shortcrust lid. The filling mixes in one bowl, and with ready-cooked chestnuts and store-bought pastry, keeps the preparation to a minimum. (But don't be shy to make my excellent shortcrust pastry recipe a day or two ahead.) Serve it warm with vegetables, or enjoy a chilled slice with pickles or chutney (my choice) the next day.
If hearty pies and autumn flavors are your kind of cooking, you may also enjoy French Canadian Tourtière Meat Pie, 6 ways to prepare chestnuts, and a French mixed meat sausage supper.
Quick Look: Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
- Prep Time: 25 minutes | Resting Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: approximately 45 minutes
- Total Time: approximately 1 hour 20 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Calories: ~470 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: Baking
- Flavor Profile: Savory, slightly sweet from the apples, buttery, with tender chestnut pieces throughout the pork filling.
- Difficulty: Easy to Medium; straightforward filling with a little pastry assembly.
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What Is Pork and Apple Pie?
This is a savory, double-crust pie filled with ground pork, chopped apples, and chestnuts, with egg to bind the filling and wine for flavor. My version is loosely inspired by Tourte Ardennaise. It makes a hearty autumn or winter meal and can also be served chilled with pickles or chutney.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
- What Is Pork and Apple Pie?
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions For Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
- Variations For Pork and Chestnut Pie
- Secrets From Judith's Kitchen For Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
- How To Make Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
- What To Serve With Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
- Judith's Top Tip
- Best Wine To Pair With Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
- Pork and Apple Pie Recipe FAQ
- More Savoury Pie Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Key Ingredients
For the Filling
- Ground pork: Lean minced pork gives the filling its savory base and cooks inside the pastry.
- Apples: Chopped apples bring moisture and a little sweetness to balance the meat.
- Cooked chestnuts: Tender chestnut pieces add a mellow, earthy sweetness. Learn how to prepare fresh chestnuts and ways to cook them.
For the Pastry Case
- Savory shortcrust pastry: A base and lid enclose the filling in a buttery crust; use store-bought dough or use my favourite meat crust pastry.
NOTE: See the recipe card for the full ingredient list and quantities.
Substitutions For Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
- Without wine: Replace the 100 ml wine with the same amount of low-sodium pork or chicken stock for a more savory filling.
- Without fresh chestnuts: Choose plain cooked vacuum-packed or canned chestnuts, drained well; avoid sweetened purée.
- Different apples: Granny Smith gives a sharper filling, while Cox or Golden Delicious brings a gentler sweetness.
- Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free savory shortcrust designed for pies, plus gluten-free flour for rolling; handle it according to its package or recipe.
- Dairy-free: Choose dairy-free shortcrust and grease the tin with a suitable plant-based butter. This version still contains eggs.
Variations For Pork and Chestnut Pie
- Sage and apple: Mix a little finely chopped fresh sage into the filling for a more herbaceous flavor that suits the pork.
- Thyme and mustard: Add a small spoonful of Dijon mustard and a few fresh thyme leaves for a gently tangy, savory variation.
Secrets From Judith's Kitchen For Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
- Match the filling pieces: Keep the apple and chestnut pieces small and fairly even so each slice holds together without large gaps.
- Keep the pastry rim clean: Spoon the filling into the middle first, then spread it outward; a clean rim is much easier to seal without leaking.
How To Make Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
Prepare the Filling
- Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas 6. Place a sturdy baking sheet on the lower-middle shelf to heat. Grease a 9-inch (about 22.86 cm) metal flan tin, including its rim, with the butter.
- Chop the cooked, peeled chestnuts into small pieces. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into roughly ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
- Combine the chestnuts, apples, raw ground pork, wine, and one egg in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix just until evenly combined.
Assemble the Pie
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out roughly two-thirds of the shortcrust pastry into a thin sheet large enough to line the base and sides of the tin with a small overhang. Ease it into the tin without stretching. Leave the base unpricked.
- Spread the filling evenly in the pastry shell without packing it down firmly. Keep the rim clean so the lid can seal.
- Roll out the remaining pastry for the lid. Lightly dampen the pastry rim with water, lay the lid over the filling, and press the edges together. Trim excessive overhang, leaving enough to fold and crimp. Add pastry decorations if you wish.
- Beat the remaining egg and brush a thin layer over the lid. Cut a small steam vent in the center.
Bake and Rest
- Place the tin on the hot baking sheet and bake for about 50-55 minutes, until the pastry is golden and cooked underneath and the center of the filling reaches at least 165°F (74°C). Check through the steam vent with an instant-read thermometer. Continue baking if needed; loosely cover the top with foil if it starts to brown too quickly.
- Rest the pie for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with vegetables. Try my creamy Brussels sprouts purée or sliced sautéed peppers and onions recipe, or a fresh, crisp mesclun salad.
What To Serve With Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
The pastry and chestnuts make this pie satisfying, so a simple vegetable side or bright salad is usually all it needs.
- Beetroot and onions bring a fresh contrast to the rich pastry.
- Parsnips, choose one of three ways, echo the apples' gentle sweetness.
- Leafy green salad with a mustard vinaigrette balances the pork; add pickles or chutney if serving the pie chilled.
Judith's Top Tip
Check the filling with a thermometer before taking the pie out: a golden lid can hide an undercooked center.
Best Wine To Pair With Pork and Apple Pie Recipe
A lightly chilled Beaujolais is a lovely match: its fresh fruit and modest tannins complement the pork and apples without overwhelming the chestnuts. If you prefer white wine, choose a dry Chenin Blanc with enough acidity to balance the buttery pastry.
Pork and Apple Pie Recipe FAQ
This pork and apple pie recipe works well with a tart cooking apple such as Granny Smith, or a sweeter Cox or Golden Delicious. Chop the apple into small, even pieces so it cooks through alongside the pork.
This pork and apple pie recipe is easier with plain cooked, peeled chestnuts from a vacuum pack or can. Drain canned chestnuts well and chop them into pieces. Avoid sweetened chestnut spread, which changes both the flavor and texture.
This pork and apple pie recipe can use 100 ml low-sodium pork or chicken stock instead of the wine. The filling will be more savory and less aromatic. Do not substitute the same amount of vinegar.
This pork and apple pie recipe is cooked when the crust is golden, the base is baked through, and the center of the ground-pork filling reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Insert a thermometer through the steam vent; pastry color alone cannot tell you whether the meat is cooked.
This pork and apple pie recipe can be baked a day ahead, refrigerated within 2 hours after it has completely cooled. Reheat until its center reaches 165°F (74°C), which is 5° warmer than freshly baked. Keep it covered in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. For a crisper crust, reheat it in the oven rather than the microwave.
If you tried this Pork and Apple Pie Recipe with Chestnuts or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5-Star Rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Très bien!
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📖 Recipe
👩🍳 Prep Like a Pro!
Before starting to cook: chop and measure your ingredients and gather your tools. The French call this mise en place - "everything in its place." A simple habit that reduces stress, prevents overcooking while you're searching for that missing ingredient, and makes cooking far more relaxed!
Pork And Apple Pie Recipe
Equipment
- flan tin 9 inch
- pie tin 9 inch
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 8 oz chestnuts cooked, peeled, & chopped; use plain vacuum-packed chestnuts or well-drained canned chestnuts.
- 8 oz cooking apples peeled, cored, and chopped.
- 8 oz lean ground pork
- 3⅓ oz Rancio or Macvin du Jura wine or a fruity wine
- ½ teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs one for the filling and one beaten for glazing
- 1 tablespoon butter for greasing the tin.
- 16 oz shortcrust pastry Enough for the bottom and top, homemade or store-bought, plus a little flour for rolling.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas 6. Place a sturdy baking sheet on the lower-middle shelf to heat. Grease a 9-inch (about 23 cm) metal flan tin, including its rim, with 1 tbsp butter.
- Chop the cooked, peeled 8 oz chestnuts into small pieces. Peel and core the 8 oz cooking apples, then cut them into roughly ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
- Combine the chestnuts, apples, 8 oz lean ground pork, 3⅓ oz Rancio or Macvin du Jura wine, and one egg in a bowl. Season with ½ tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper, and mix just until evenly combined.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out roughly two-thirds of the 16 oz shortcrust pastry into a thin sheet large enough to line the base and sides of the tin with a small overhang. Ease it into the tin without stretching. Leave the base unpricked.
- Spread the filling evenly in the pastry shell without packing it down firmly. Keep the rim clean so the lid can seal.
- Roll out the remaining pastry for the lid. Lightly dampen the pastry rim with water, lay the lid over the filling, and press the edges together. Trim excessive overhang, leaving enough to fold and crimp. Add pastry decorations if you wish.
- Beat the remaining egg and brush a thin layer over the lid. Cut a small steam vent in the center. I like to add three or four more vent holes to keep the crust from ballooning and the juice leaking out.
- Place the tin on the hot baking sheet and bake for about 50-55 minutes, until the pastry is golden and cooked underneath and the center of the filling reaches 165°F (74°C). Check through the steam vent with an instant-read thermometer. Continue baking if needed. Check halfway through the baking time, and if the crust is browning too quickly, turn the oven down to 375°F/191°C/Gas 5 and loosely cover the top with foil.
- Rest the pie for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with vegetables or a crisp salad.
Notes
- Use plain cooked chestnuts, not sweetened chestnut spread. Drain canned chestnuts well and let freshly cooked chestnuts cool before mixing.
- Keep the pastry cool and handle it gently. If it softens while rolling, refrigerate it until firm enough to work with.
- Do not prick the pastry base: the uncooked filling contains liquid that could seep through the holes.
- Make a steam vent, seal the edges well, and use a hot baking sheet to help the base cook.
- Use a thermometer as well as the pastry color: the ground-pork filling must reach at least 160°F (71°C).
- Rest for 10 minutes before slicing so the filling holds together more neatly.
- Chop all ingredients evenly for uniform cooking and to prevent large gaps in the filling.
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