Canadian Tourtière

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This delicately spiced French Canadian meat pie made with beef and pork is a must-have on our Christmas tables. And if we can enjoy it at other times of year too, lucky us.

Prep Time: 1 hour + 10 mins (or up to 24 hours) pastry resting time

Cook time: 45 min

Yield: Two 9-inch pies

Ingredients

For the pie filling:

• 3 - 4 medium sized yellow flesh potatoes

• 1 medium carrot

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 1 cup diced onion

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 lb ground pork

• 2/3 cup water

• 1/2 tsp each:

  • ground cinnamon

  • ground cloves

  • celery salt

  • dried summer savoury

  • salt

  • white pepper

  • freshly ground black pepper

For the pie crust:

• 4 level cups flour, and more for rolling

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 lb chilled lard (or vegetable shortening, if you prefer)

• 2 cups ice water

• 1 egg for egg wash

• 1 tbsp milk for egg wash

  
  

Directions

Make the pie crust:

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

2. Blend lard into the flour with a pastry blender until it resembles course pea-sized lumps. Form a well in the centre.

3. Use the 2 cups of ice water to pour exactly 250ml into the well in your dry ingredients. Stir with a metal spoon until it comes together as a dough. Shape it into a rough mound in the bowl. Cover and put in the fridge to rest at least 10 mins (or up to 24 hrs) while you make filling.

Make the filling:

1. Peel and grate the potatoes and carrot. Set aside.

2. Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat, add oil and onions. Cook until translucent. Add the beef, pork and water. Cook until browned, breaking the meat into small crumbs, about 10 mins.

3. Drain off excess oil, leaving the meat and onions in the pan.

4. Add the grated potato and carrot into the meat and stir to distribute evenly.

5. Stir in seasonings until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

6. Turn off the heat.

Assemble the pies:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Take the pastry out of the fridge.

2. Portion dough into 4 pieces -- 2 of them should be slightly larger to fit the bottom of the pie plate.

3. Begin with one of those bottom pieces and use your hands to shape it into a disc.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the disc with a rolling pin until you have a round shape to fit in the bottom of the pie plate. Place it in one of your pie plates.

5. Add half the filling into the dish. Now repeat what you just did with the dough with one one of the smaller discs. When you have a round big enough to cover the top of the pie, lay it on top and gently crimp the edges using a fork as you go around the diameter of the dish.

6. Repeat with the second pie.

7. Cut vents in the top of each pie and brush with egg wash of 1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp milk.

8. Bake until golden (about 45 mins).

Zhuzh it up!

• Heather enjoys tourtière with turkey gravy, while Erin likes it with ketchup. We also tried it with Green Tomato Chow Chow. What will you serve with yours?

This recipe was written by Heather Dyer, inspired by her mom's recipe and the one found in Eat Alberta First by Karen Anderson.