Tourtiere

This filling is for one pie. I usually triple the ingredients and make three at a time. I bake all of the pies and when cold freeze.

Pastry to two crust pie.

1 large onion chopped
2 or 3 tablespoons oil or butter
1 clove garlic
1-1/2 pounds of pork
1 cup gravy or stock (saved from turkey or pork)
2 russet potatoes (par boiled)
2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme,
1/2 teaspoon rosemary (or more)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice, more to taste
.
Saute the onion in oil until transparent, add the garlic and saute for
one minute and then add the ground pork. Cook until the meat is brown.
Add 1/2 cup stock or gravy and cover pan and simmer for about 15 or 20
minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F

Uncover pan and reduce liquid to 2 or 3 tablespoons. Add the
seasonings and stir to blend.Adjust seasonings to taste. Add the
coarsely chopped potatoes and add enough additional gravy to moisten. (
Should not be to wet.)

Spoon filling into pastry shell. Use egg glaze on along overhand.
Place crust on top and trim. Fold the top edge under the bottom and
crimp edge. Brush with egg glaze and decorate with extra pastry if
desired. Sprinkle with Coarse salt.

Bake in the lower third of oven for 15 minutes and then raise to the
middle shelf, lower heat to 350 and continue to bake until golden
brown. About 45 to 55 minutes.

Moe has Monique (La Table De Nana) to thank this week for one of his dinners.

Our tradition is to have Tourtiere Christmas Eve. I usually bake two or three pies, one for dinner and one or two for the freezer. But this year, I only baked one pie and I froze the extra filling.

So when I saw Monique’s gorgeous pie that she posted recently, I was reminded of the filling in the freezer.

I just happened to have some very rich pork gravy in the freezer as well so dinner was simple to put together. Just had to make the pastry and get the pie in the oven.

Served with mashed potatoes, gravy and fresh asparagus.

The pastry was an all butter pastry. Very flaky.

Butter Pastry

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of baking powder (like my grandmother always added)
1 cup cold butter
ice water.

Add the flour, salt, pinch of baking powder to a bowl.
Using a box grater, grate the butter into the flour.
Toss with fingers.

Add ice water, mixing with a fork until pastry comes together. Tip
out on to a floured board. Quickly pat out (or roll with pin) and
fold, like a letter, pat and fold three or four times to form
layers. Cut in half and pat each half into a flat disk.
Refrigerate for an hour before using.

Work quickly so that the butter doesn’t soften.

12 Comments Add yours

La Table De Nana says:

January 30, 2011 at 1:24 pm

Yours always look better than mine:)

Katy says:

January 30, 2011 at 2:22 pm

Stunning!

Thibeault's Table says:

January 30, 2011 at 3:32 pm

Oh Monique, I'm not even in the same league as you. If I couldn't even come close I would be happy.Thanks Katy.Ann

Kathy Walker says:

January 30, 2011 at 3:35 pm

Beautiful…if only I could get my pastry to look like that! Delicious, I am certain.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) says:

January 30, 2011 at 4:31 pm

I tried substituting a delicious tourtiere with our usual Christmas Eve cheese fondue one year and the ranks were up on arms. Therefore I make this flaky French Canadian treat at other times of the year!

Diane@Peaceful Acres Farm says:

January 31, 2011 at 9:02 pm

Ann, I've got to try a meat pie. My mom commented at Christmas that she'd never made one…so I've got to give it a try this year. Of course your looks yummy!!!

Linda @ Lemon Drop says:

February 15, 2011 at 11:46 pm

Ann, could you share the pastry crust recipe please? Thanks !

Thibeault's Table says:

February 16, 2011 at 1:38 am

Hi Linda, I used my regular pastry crust. Good for both sweet and savory pies. Sometimes I use half butter/half lard, but in the above pie I used all butter in the crust. I love the flavour and the flakiness.I use a box grater to cut in the butter.Butter Lard Pastry Crust==================2 cups all purpose flour3/4 teaspoon salt1/3 cup butter1/3 cup lard (or shortening- Crisco)5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water, or more as needed(note: if using for a sweet pie, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar.)Mix flour with salt, and cut in butter and lard.You can cut the butter/lard in using the food processor or with apastry blender.Or you can use a box grater for the butter.Put flour mixture in bowl and add water mixing with a fork until pastrycomes together. Form in to a ball and cut in two pieces. Form eachinto a round flat disc and refrigerate for 1 hour.NOTE: Can be made with all butterThe secret to a good crust is to not over-handle the dough.

Linda @ Lemon Drop says:

February 16, 2011 at 6:05 pm

Thanks very much ! Eager to make this on the weekend :)Linda

Thibeault's Table says:

February 16, 2011 at 11:50 pm

Linda, you are welcome. Enjoy!Ann