Tourtière (French-Canadian Meat Pie)

Before you start

Tourtière is the double-crust meat pie served in Québec homes at Christmas Eve and New Year, though it is good any cold night. The filling is ground pork, often mixed with beef or veal, simmered with onion and warm spices such as cinnamon, cloves and allspice until the liquid cooks away. A little mashed potato stirred in binds the meat so slices hold together. Spice blends vary a great deal by family and region, and in the Saguenay area the name refers to a different deep pie made with cubed meats.

The filling must be cooked, cooled and almost dry before it meets the pastry. Wet or warm filling steams the bottom crust and makes the pie fall apart when sliced. Cooling it fully also lets the fat set, which helps each wedge keep its shape.

Ingredients

• Pastry375 g (3 cups plus 2 tbsp, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 150 g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter — cold, cubed
• 75 g (⅓ cup) lard or vegetable shortening — cold
• 120 to 150 ml (½ to ⅔ cup) ice water
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk, for egg wash
• Filling500 g (1.1 lb) ground pork
• 250 g (9 oz) ground beef or veal
• 1 large (about 200 g) onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium (about 200 g) russet potato, peeled and cut in 2 cm cubes
• 240 ml (1 cup) water or low-sodium stock
• 1½ tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp dried savory or thyme
• ½ tsp black pepper

Method

1. Whisk the flour and salt, cut in the butter and lard until the largest pieces are pea-size, and add ice water gradually until the dough holds together. Divide into two discs, one slightly larger, wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Put the pork, beef, onion, garlic, potato, water, salt, spices, savory and pepper in a wide pan. Bring to a simmer, breaking up the meat with a spoon so it cooks in fine crumbles.
3. Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potato is very soft and almost all the liquid has evaporated. The meat should reach at least 71°C (160°F); by this point it will be well past that.
4. Mash the potato into the meat with a masher until the mixture holds together loosely. Taste and adjust the salt and spice; the flavor should be bold because pastry mutes it. Spread on a tray and cool completely, about 1 hour.
5. Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) with a rack in the lower third. Roll the larger disc to 3 mm thick and line the pie plate with a 2 cm overhang. Fill with the cold meat mixture and level it.
6. Roll the second disc, lay it over the filling, trim and crimp the edges together. Brush with egg wash and cut several vents or a decorative pattern.
7. Set the pie on a rimmed sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven to 190°C (375°F) and bake 30 to 35 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden brown. Rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

Tips for success

• Keep breaking up the meat as it simmers. Fine, even crumbles make a pie that slices neatly instead of crumbling into lumps.
• The filling tastes even better the next day. Make it ahead and refrigerate it, then assemble and bake the pie straight from cold.
• Serve with a sharp condiment such as green tomato chow-chow, ketchup or cranberry relish to cut the richness.

Substitutions

Pork and beef mix

All pork is common and gives a softer, richer filling. Ground veal in place of the beef makes it more delicate.

Russet potato

Use 30 g fine fresh breadcrumbs or rolled oats as a binder instead. The filling is slightly drier and less creamy.

Butter and lard pastry

All butter (225 g) gives more flavor and slightly less tenderness. Keep the dough very cold.

Variations

Mini tourtières

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with 10 cm pastry rounds, fill, top with 7 cm lids and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Game tourtière

Replace the beef with ground venison and add a pinch of nutmeg and a little more pork fat for moisture.

Troubleshooting

The filling falls apart when sliced

Too little binder or the pie was cut hot. Mash the potato well into the meat and rest the pie for 20 minutes.

The bottom crust is soggy

The filling was wet or warm. Simmer until the liquid is nearly gone and cool it completely before filling.

The flavor is flat

The filling was underseasoned. Season it a little more boldly than tastes right on its own, since pastry dulls it.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days; reheat to 74°C (165°F) in the center. The baked pie freezes for up to 3 months. You can also freeze it unbaked and bake from frozen at 200°C (400°F) for 60 to 70 minutes, until the filling is hot through.

Safety notes

Ground meat should reach 71°C (160°F) when cooked, and reheated leftovers 74°C (165°F). Contains wheat, egg and milk.