Tourtière : (French-Canadian Meat Pie )
Tourtière is a French pie crust filled with ground beef, onions, spices, and herbs. Tourtière varies greatly throughout different parts of Franco-American communities and Canada, and even among members of the same family.
In most recipes, ground beef and pig are combined, although venison or other game meats can also be used to make the pie.
We've always cooked tourtière using a combination of ground beef and pig, unlike other versions that exclusively use chopped or ground pork. According to some reports, using potatoes was frowned upon since it signified you couldn't afford meat. To help bind the ingredients together in this dish, I believe the potatoes are essential.
30 minutes 30 minutes 1 hour
Ingredients
For pie pastry:2 cups all purpose flour1/2 teaspoon kosher salt2/3 cup butter or lard (chilled)6 tablespoons ice cold waterFor meat filling:1 pound ground pork1 pound ground beef2 large potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil1 small onion (finely chopped)1 clove garlic (finely minced)1/2 teaspoon Bells poultry seasoning or your favorite poultry seasoning1/4 teaspoon cloves (ground)1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (ground)1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/8 teaspoon pepper1 large egg
Steps
Make the pastry:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
2. Add butter or lard and stir until mixture has a crumbly, coarse texture.
3. Mix in one tablespoon of cold water at a time, just until the dough comes together.
4. Form the dough into a ball, flatten it, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator. Now it's time to make the filling.
To make the filling:
1. Potatoes should be peeled and sliced into 2-inch chunks before being placed in a medium saucepan with water that is just enough to cover the potatoes by 2-inches.
2. Over high heat, bring the pan to a boil; then, turn the heat down to medium-high, and continue boiling for 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
3. Drain the remaining potato water and set aside 1/2 cup. Set aside the mashed potatoes.
4. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté onions, and garlic in olive oil for approximately 3 minutes, or until softened.
5. Cook the meat (ground pork and ground beef) stirring occasionally, until it is no longer pink. Add the ground beef and pork. Remove any extra fat.
6. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, poultry seasoning, and the potato water that was set aside. Stir well and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until the liquid is evaporated.
7. Turn off the heat, whisk in the mashed potatoes, and set the filling aside to cool gently.
Prepare the Pie:
1. Set the oven to 400°F/205°C.
2. Divide the dough in half and flatten one ball with your hands on a lightly floured board. To fit a 9-inch pie pan, roll out the dough to about 12-inches in diameter.
3. The meat filling should be added after placing the crust in the pie dish. Brush the beaten egg along the outside edge of the pastry.
4. Place the top crust on top of the filling and roll it out. Pinch or flute the edges of the top crust and the bottom crust. Cut vent holes and brush with egg wash.
It's time to bake the pie:
1. Until the dough is golden brown, bake the pie in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
2. The tourtière should cool for at least 10 minutes before being served after being removed from the oven. Don't forget to serve the pie with a side dish that goes well wit the pie. For example may be with cranberry sauce, leafy green salads or some roasted vegetables Enjoy!
