A Traditional Tourtiere
A year ago I was already making tourtiere.You can make this traditional French Canadian meat pie any time of year, of course, but most of us prepare it for the winter holidays. No Christmas is complete without it, preferably washed down with some Champagne, an incongruous pairing of heavy and rustic with light and sophisticated.
But it works. Perhaps the bubbly is a foil for the hearty meat pie. Why question something that feels so right?
Meat pie, made mostly with pork, is equally tasty paired with merlot or cabernet sauvignon, in my book. I like to pair it with a salad, preferably one with a hint of fruit or tomato.
But I am rambling on here. The real star is the meat pie.
Some recipes call for potatoes, something my aunts, grandmother and great-grandmother never used. I skip them, too, in part top honor the memory of those wonderful women, in part because of the carbs.
Here is my family's take on tourtiere:
Three pounds ground meat: I like a combination of fresh ground pork and ground chuck
One large onion, minced
Dash nutmeg
Dash allspice
Dash freshly-ground pepper
Dash sea salt
1-2 eggs
Prepare your crust. You can use your favorite recipe. My father used to make his with lard, so I have never included it here.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the meat and onion in a large skillet. Season with pepper and spices. Set aside; you can make this ahead and keep it refrigerated.
Pat your bottom crust into a greased pie plate. Before adding the meat, blend in an egg or two, depending upon the size of your pie. The eggs keep the pie from crumbling. I also add the salt at the last minute.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. I used an egg wash on the crust.
You may serve tourtiére warm or cold. You can even freeze it.
Here is another version of tourtiere.
Comments
Judy, I know what you mean about freezing - with just the two of us, we do a lot of that, especially with soups, chili and stews. Meat pie is versatile, too - I;ve had it for breakfast.
I probably haven't had this for 30 years or so...but I remember potatoes AND peas. Could that be possible?
I'll have to ask my dad.
Anyway, I'm sending a link to your post to my sis and my female cousins.
Thanks for the inspiration.
MaryRuth, I am sure I have seen it with carrots, too, and certainly potatoes. When I was writing a food column on tourtiere, I learned that everyone has a slightly different recipe.
My sister, Mary Ruth, wrote a comment the other day after viewing your site and recipe for toutiere.
Our grandmother, Ethel, who was French Canadian also made a 'unique' version of the french meat pie. She used rubbed sage rather than the spices (like clove or allspice)and of course, onion, salt and pepper. Our recipe doesn't call for eggs, but instead, we make a gravy with flour and water and some of the pan drippings.
The crust is a baking powder biscuit dough, not pastry crust (but I do use shortening, not lard.
My dad says they served the toutiere on New Years Day with buttered carrots and asparagus.
Yes, they do freeze well. Some relatives make extras early in December and then take them to homebound neighbors as gifts during the holidays.
In our family, meat pie was served after midnight mass. The custom of a Christmas Eve celebration continued for years at my grandmother's house, long after she died. There were quiet years and years when the house filled with family and longtime family friends.
Fran
I expected to have a big stove in the kitchen with a huge space, now I am really happy because I can cook every kind of recipe in my huge stove. I really love it.
I expected to have a big stove in the kitchen with a huge space, now I am really happy because I can cook every kind of recipe in my huge stove. I really love it.