In the realm of French-Canadian cuisine, the tourtière stands as a culinary beacon, a dish deeply embedded in tradition and bursting with hearty, comforting flavors. This savory meat pie is an iconic presence during festive gatherings, particularly around Christmas and New Year's, embodying the spirit of communal dining and cherished heritage. With its golden-brown crust encasing a flavorful filling of minced meat, typically pork, beef, or veal, the tourtière exudes an enticing aroma that fills the air, beckoning taste buds to embark on a delectable journey. The intricate preparation of the pie, involving a meticulous layering of ingredients and a delicate balance of spices, elevates it beyond a mere meal to an expression of culinary artistry. This article presents a collection of carefully curated tourtière recipes, each offering a unique twist on this classic dish. From the traditional pork-based tourtière to innovative vegetarian and vegan variations, these recipes cater to diverse dietary preferences while staying true to the essence of this beloved French-Canadian delicacy. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a novice in the kitchen, embark on this culinary adventure and discover the secrets behind crafting an exceptional tourtière that will leave a lasting impression on your palate and create lasting memories around the dinner table.
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
TOURTIERE (FRENCH CANADIAN MEAT PIE)
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.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Pork Ground Pork Recipes
Time 2h15m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 28
Steps:
- 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.
- 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.
- Mix salt, pepper, thyme, sage, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, mustard, clove, and cayenne together in a small bowl.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- 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.
- 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.
- Place in preheated oven. Bake until well browned, about 1 hour. Let cool to almost room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 663 calories, Carbohydrate 47.3 g, Cholesterol 159.2 mg, Fat 40.5 g, Fiber 2.6 g, Protein 26.9 g, SaturatedFat 21.4 g, Sodium 1074 mg, Sugar 1.5 g
TOURTIèRE: A FRENCH-CANADIAN MEAT PIE RECIPE
Tourtière, also known as pork pie or meat pie, is a combination of ground meat, onions, spices, and herbs baked in a traditional piecrust.
Provided by Grow a Good Life
Categories Main Course
Time 1h
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut in butter or lard until mixture is a rough crumbly texture.
- Add ice water one tablespoon at a time and mix just until the dough comes together.
- Shape the dough into a ball, flatten, wrap, and chill in the refrigerator. While pastry is chilling, prepare the filling.
- Peel and cut potatoes into 2-inch chunks, add them to a medium saucepan, and fill with water until it covers the potatoes by 2-inches.
- Bring the saucepan to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-high and boil until the potatoes are until tender, about 12 minutes.
- Reserve 1/2-cup of potato water and drain the rest. Mash potatoes and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add olive oil, onions, and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and pork and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off excess fat.
- Add the poultry seasoning, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and reserved potato water. Mix well and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in mashed potatoes, and set the filling aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C
- On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half and flatten one ball of dough with your hands. Roll dough to about 12-inches in diameter to fit a 9-inch pie pan.
- Place the pastry into the pie plate and add the meat filling. Brush around the outer edge of the pastry with the beaten egg.
- Roll out the top pastry and place on top of the filling. Fold the top crust under the bottom crust and pinch or flute the edges. Brush with egg wash and cut vent holes.
- Bake the pie in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
- Remove the tourtière from oven and let it cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Yield: Makes 1 pie, about 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 520 kcal, ServingSize 1 serving
FRENCH CANADIAN TOURTIERE
Traditional French Canadian Tourtiere (meat pie), served on Reveillon (Christmas Eve).
Provided by Rayna Jordan
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Pork Ground Pork Recipes
Time 2h
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a saucepan, combine pork, beef, onion, garlic, water, salt, thyme, sage, black pepper and cloves. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils; stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is cooked, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Spoon the meat mixture into the pie crust. Place top crust on top of pie and pinch edges to seal. Cut slits in top crust so steam can escape. Cover edges of pie with strips of aluminum foil.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes; remove foil and return to oven. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 404.6 calories, Carbohydrate 22.1 g, Cholesterol 55.3 mg, Fat 26.6 g, Fiber 1.9 g, Protein 18.4 g, SaturatedFat 8.1 g, Sodium 748.9 mg, Sugar 0.7 g
TOURTIERE DU QUEBEC (FRENCH-CANADIAN MEAT PIE)
I grew in Quebec and always looked forward to Christmas to be able to eat meat pies. When I married & moved to the US, I took the recipe with me, no way I can spend Christmas without the smell of cooking meat pies. Luckily for me, hubby & kids are hooked. I've been making this recipe for years, delicious.
Provided by French Canadian Chef
Categories Savory Pies
Time 1h35m
Yield 1 pie, 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Place all the ingredients (except for pie shell) in a sauce pan and bring to boil and cook uncovered for 20 minutes over medium heat.
- Cool the meat mixture and pour in pastry lined pan. Note: I like to cool mine in refrigerator over night if time permits.
- Cover with the top crust, cut steam vents and bake in a 400F oven until golden, about 45 minutes.
- Freeze well.
- Note: If ground pork and ground veal cannot be found, you can use meatloaf mix which is all 3 meat but I'm not sure of the ratio.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 751.4, Fat 47.5, SaturatedFat 14, Cholesterol 83.8, Sodium 859.7, Carbohydrate 52.4, Fiber 2.8, Sugar 1.3, Protein 27.5
ALICE'S FRENCH CANADIAN MEAT PIE - TOURTIERE
This is my mother's recipe that she got from her mother, who was born in Montreal Canada. We have had these pies every Christmas since I was a little kid. It would not be Christmas in our family without mom's tourtieres! Thanks mom for the recipe and all the wonderful holidays you gave us over the years!
Provided by Dr. David
Categories Pork
Time 1h
Yield 2 pies
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Cook meat in a skillet on medium heat until brown, then drain and place meat in a large bowl.
- Add potatoes a little at a time to meat.
- Add seasonings and mix.
- Add more seasonings to taste.
- Place pie dough on 2 pie plates.
- Add half of mixture to each pie.
- Cover each pie with remaining dough.
- Seal the edges of pies and cut 5 to 6 vent holes on the tops of pies.
- Brush top of pies with melted butter.
- Bake 20 - 30 minutes at 350°F or until crusts are golden brown.
Tips:
- Prep all ingredients before starting. This will save time and ensure you have everything you need on hand.
- Work with a well-chilled pie dough. This will help prevent the dough from becoming too soft and sticky, making it easier to work with.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the vegetables. This will help ensure clean, even cuts.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the meat filling. This will help prevent the meat from steaming instead of browning.
- Simmer the meat filling for at least 30 minutes. This will help develop the flavor and tenderize the meat.
- Don't overfill the pie crust. This will help prevent the filling from bubbling over during baking.
- Bake the pie until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Conclusion:
Tourtière is a delicious and hearty French-Canadian meat pie that is perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. With a flavorful meat filling and a flaky pie crust, it's a dish that everyone will enjoy. Follow these tips to make the perfect tourtière every time.
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