Festive Jewelled Pork and Pistachio Pie

Prepare the filling by combining the chopped bacon, pork shoulder chunks, and sausagemeat in a large mixing bowl. Grate in the nutmeg and add the sage, dried cranberries, chopped apricots, pistachios, salt, and a generous amount of black pepper. Mix thoroughly until well combined, then cover and chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the pastry.

To make the hot water crust pastry, place the lard, butter, and 150ml of water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a separate heatproof bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Once the fats have melted and the liquid is steaming, pour it over the flour and mix quickly to form a dough. Turn the dough onto a clean surface and knead briefly until smooth. Cut off one-third of the pastry, wrap it in plastic wrap, and set aside for the lid.

Roll out the remaining two-thirds of the pastry to the thickness of a pound coin. Carefully lift it using a rolling pin and line a deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Press the pastry firmly into the base and up the sides, ensuring there are no holes or thin patches.

Spoon the chilled meat filling into the pastry case. Use the back of a spoon to pack the mixture down firmly, removing any air pockets. Mound the filling slightly in the center to create a dome shape, leaving about 1cm of pastry protruding above the meat.