This French Canadian meat pie is hearty, satisfying, and easy to make so it’s a great choice for a holiday main course. Visually impressive, relatively affordable, and best served at room temperature, so a tourtiere doesn’t require any kind of precise timing.
Ingredients
Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, sliced, frozen
7 tablespoons ice cold water
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Spice Blend:
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Filling:
1 large russet potato, peeled, quartered
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 pinch salt
4 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup finely diced celery
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup potato cooking water, plus more as needed
Egg Wash:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
Directions
Step 1: Place flour, salt, and frozen butter slices into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until butter is about the size of peas, about 30 seconds. Stir vinegar into cold water; drizzle water/vinegar into the flour mixture. Pulse on and off until mixture is crumbly and holds together when you pinch a piece off, about 10 seconds. If dough isn’t pressing together, drizzle in another teaspoon of water.
Step 2: Transfer mixture to a work surface. Press it together until it becomes a lump of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
Step 3: Mix salt, pepper, thyme, sage, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, mustard, clove, and cayenne together in a small bowl.
Step 4: Place potato quarters in a saucepan; cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat. Simmer until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Scoop out potatoes and transfer to a bowl; save cooking liquid. Mash potatoes with a potato masher.
Step 5: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir until onions turn golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 6: Stir garlic, celery, and spice blend into the skillet with onions. Stir until onion mixture is evenly coated with the spices, about 30 seconds. Add ground beef and ground pork. Ladle about 3/4 cup of the potato cooking liquid into the skillet.
Step 7: Cook and stir until meat is browned and has a very fine, almost pastelike texture. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 45 minutes. Stir in mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Step 8: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Step 9: Divide chilled dough into 2 pieces, one just slightly larger than the other. Roll the larger piece out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface. Place in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Roll top crust out into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Cut small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
Step 10: Fill bottom crust with the meat mixture; smooth out the surface. Whisk egg and water together to make egg wash. Brush edges of the bottom crust with egg wash. Place top crust on the pie and press lightly around the edges to seal. Trim excess dough from the crust. Crimp the edges of the crust. Brush entire surface of the pie with egg wash.
Step 11: Place in preheated oven. Bake until well browned, about 1 hour. Let cool to almost room temperature before serving.
Chef’s Notes:
You can also easily tailor this to your own tastes, since other than the ground meat and mashed potato, pretty much anything goes.
Tips
I may try this next time with beef gravy, as a few of my Canadian friends have suggested. Another suggestion was some ketchup which I tried on a cold slice, and it was delicious.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving: 663 calories; protein 26.9g; carbohydrates 47.3g; fat 40.5g; cholesterol 159.2mg; sodium 1074mg