Heaven-and-Earth Pork Pot Pie

This earthy pot pie tastes quite heavenly! Sharon Tyler Herbst's recipe combines flavors of smoked bacon, pork loin, apples and potatoes to produce a truly perfect pot pie.

Recipe Ingredients:

Cornmeal Crumble Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
4 strips thick-sliced bacon (optional)
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed of fat and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup olive oil or bacon drippings
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 pound (2 or 3) long white or Yukon gold potatoes (peeling optional), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 very large (about 9 ounces) tart, crisp apple (peeling optional), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Directions:

1. For Cornmeal Crumble Topping: Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Lightly oil a 17 x 11 x 1-inch jelly roll pan.
2. In medium bowl or in food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, salt and allspice. Using pastry blender or 2 knives (or using short pulses in food processor), cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, stirring with fork or pulsing quickly in food processor, just until mixture begins to hold together.
3. Crumble mixture evenly onto prepared pan (chunks should be no larger than 3/4 inch). Bake 15 minutes. Using metal spatula, gently flip mixture and bake 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool in pan until ready to use.
4. For Filling: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly oil a shallow, 3-quart casserole.
5. In large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until very crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumb bacon when cool; set aside. Pour bacon drippings into small container and reserve. (If omitting bacon, skip this step. Heat about 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet to brown pork.)
6. Add pork to skillet; sprinkle with sugar. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring often, until pork is well browned on all sides. Add 1/4 cup olive oil or reserved bacon drippings and onion; cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, ginger, nutmeg and flour. Cook 2 minutes.
7. Stirring constantly, gradually add chicken broth, loosening any browned bits from bottom of pan. Cook until mixture thickens and comes to boil, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in apple and crumbled bacon, if using; add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Turn mixture into prepared pan; sprinkle evenly with cornmeal crumble. Bake 20 minutes; serve hot.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe an excerpt from Food Lover's Guide To Meat & Potatoes by Sharon Tyler Herbst; published by Jessicas Biscuit. 978-0-688-13771-7 Copyright © 1996 Sharon Tyler Herbst.