Feast your taste buds on a culinary journey to the heart of French-Canadian cuisine with our exploration of the iconic Tourtière. This traditional meat pie holds a special place in Canadian heritage, gracing tables during festive occasions like Christmas and New Year's Eve. But its appeal extends far beyond these celebrations, as its distinct flavors and comforting aroma have made it a beloved dish throughout the year. In this comprehensive article, we present a collection of Tourtière recipes that capture the essence of this classic dish.
From the classic Tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean to the unique Tourtière au Saguenay, each recipe offers a tantalizing variation on this beloved pie. Discover the secrets behind the perfect balance of savory ground pork, beef, and veal, enveloped in a flaky, golden-brown crust. Learn how to create a flavorful filling with aromatic spices and traditional ingredients like onions, garlic, and thyme. And explore the different techniques for achieving that perfect crust, whether you prefer the traditional lard-based pastry or a more modern butter crust.
Whether you're a seasoned home cook or a novice in the kitchen, our step-by-step instructions and helpful tips will guide you through the process of making a Tourtière that will impress your family and friends. Along the way, you'll also discover fascinating insights into the history and cultural significance of this dish, making your culinary experience even more enriching. So gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and embark on a delightful journey into the world of Tourtière, where every bite is a celebration of French-Canadian culinary heritage.
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
MEAT PIE (TOURTIERE)
French Canadian Tourtiere. Contains pork, potatoes, onions and spices.
Provided by Maggie Rogers
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Pork Ground Pork Recipes
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Bake the potato until done, 30 - 45 minutes in a preheated 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) oven. Peel and mash the potato.
- Place the potato, ground pork, onion, spices and water in a large frying pan and simmer until very thick, for about one hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare your pastry.
- Line a deep-dish pie plate with pastry. Spoon in filling, spreading evenly. Cover with top crust.
- Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Cut steam vent. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). If edges brown too fast, cover with a strip of foil. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 485.4 calories, Carbohydrate 30.5 g, Cholesterol 84.5 mg, Fat 32 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 17.9 g, SaturatedFat 8.9 g, Sodium 565 mg, Sugar 2.9 g
TOURTIèRE
This savory French-Canadian meat pie combines ground pork and warm spices with chunks of braised pork shoulder and shreds of chicken or turkey. But you could make it with leftover brisket, with venison, with smoked goose or ham. Traditionally it is served with relish or tart, fruity ketchup - I like this recipe for cranberry ketchup best, though I use a splash of fresh orange juice instead of the concentrate it calls for. "I've never had a slice of tourtière and spoonful of ketchup and not liked it," David McMillan, the bearish chef and an owner of Joe Beef in the Little Burgundy section of Montreal, told me. "I especially love a tourtière made by someone who can't really cook."
Provided by Sam Sifton
Categories pies and tarts, main course
Time 6h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 26
Steps:
- Make the dough. In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and lard in stages, pulsing until the mixture forms bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist but not wet.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather into two balls. Flatten each into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
- Make the pork shoulder. Season the pieces of pork aggressively with salt and pepper. Put 1 tablespoon of the oil into a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, and set it over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, sear the meat on all sides until browned, turning as necessary, 10 minutes.
- Add the allspice berries and cinnamon sticks, and stir to toast them, then add the beer. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer steadily until the pork is very tender, 45 minutes to an hour. (When the pork is done, you can allow it to cool in its liquid and refrigerate it for one or two days before using.)
- Make the chicken or turkey. Heat oven to 325. Season the chicken or turkey thighs aggressively with salt and pepper, then roast in a cast-iron pan or shallow baking tray until their skin is crisp and they have cooked through, approximately 1 hour. (The chicken or turkey, too, may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator before using.)
- Make the pie filling. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven set over medium heat, and when it foams, add the onions, garlic and parsley. Cook, stirring often, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring often, until they are soft and have given up their liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine or stock, and stir to deglaze the pan, then cook until the liquid has evaporated, 5 minutes.
- Add the ground pork and the spices, and cook until the pork has lost its pinkness, 5 to 7 minutes. Add grated potato, and cook another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Shred the cooked chicken or turkey into the pot along with the cooked pork and about 1/2 cup of its braising liquid, stir lightly to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to a day.
- Assemble the pie. Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of oven, and heat to 400.
- Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator, and using a pin, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 10 to 11 inches in diameter. Fit this crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or cast-iron pan, trimming it to leave an overhang. Place this plate, with the dough, in the freezer.
- Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 10 to 11 inches in diameter.
- Remove pie crust from freezer, and put the chilled filling into it. Cover with remaining dough. Press the edges together, trim excess, then crimp the edges. Using a sharp knife, cut three or four steam vents in the top of the crust. Paint the pie's top with the egg wash.
- Place pie in oven on hot baking sheet, and cook for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350, and cook until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes more. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.
FRENCH CANADIAN MEAT TURKEY STUFFING
Make and share this French Canadian Meat Turkey Stuffing recipe from Food.com.
Provided by pink cook
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h20m
Yield 15 lbs. turkey, 20 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Put all ingredients in large pan except crackers. Cook on medium heat until meat is well cooked, approximately one hour stirring occasionally, so it will not stick to bottom of pan. Add 1 ladle of turkey drippings.
- Simmer for 20 minutes and drain 3/4 of liquid from pan. Add rice (or crushed crackers or bread cubes instead of the rice) until the rest of liquid is absorbed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Store the stuffing in refrigerator overnight to get more flavor and then stuff the turkey.
- NOTE: Dreamer in Ontario wrote:.
- "I think that pinkie kookie's recipe sounds close if I use rice in place of the bread and/or crackers.".
- I wrote: "Your idea of adding rice instead of the crackers and bread is excellent, Dreamer in Ontario. That is what the recipes are for, to add our own ingredients and ideas. Enjoy it.".
Nutrition Facts : Calories 187.4, Fat 9.3, SaturatedFat 3.6, Cholesterol 50.8, Sodium 402.2, Carbohydrate 8.9, Fiber 0.4, Sugar 0.5, Protein 15.7
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
TOUTIERE (FRENCH CANADIAN MEAT PIE) FILLING/TURKEY STUFFING
Categories Beef Pork Potato Broil Christmas Thanksgiving Dinner Stuffing/Dressing
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Cook the above ingredients (start with 1 tsp of each spice) in a pot until meat is tender and thoroughly cooked and juices are reduced so there is some liquid, but not too much. Boil an amount of potatoes equal to the meat mixture and mash them plain - that is, do not use milk or butter or seasoning. Mix the potatoes and the meat mixture using a large measuring cup to assure equal amounts. Note: Either after the meat is cooked or the stuffing is made you might want to adjust the seasoning - better to start easy. I usually add another 1/4-1/2 tsp of all three seasonings. Refrigerate the stuffing - it must be cooled well before putting it in the turkey or a pie shell. For the pie, you can use a regular top crust or a lattice top crust This recipe makes quite a lot a stuffing/filling, so there should be plenty left over to make a toutiere (traditional French meat pie). It freezes well too.
Tips:
- To ensure the pastry doesn't become soggy, pre-bake the pie crust for 15 minutes at 425°F (220°C) before adding the filling.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the pie reaches 165°F (74°C) for poultry and 155°F (68°C) for ground meat.
- For a flakier crust, use a combination of butter and shortening, and make sure the butter is cold before working it into the flour.
- If you don't have a pie plate, you can use a 9x13 inch baking dish instead.
- To save time, use store-bought puff pastry or pie crust dough.
- For a richer flavor, use dark meat turkey or chicken.
- Add some chopped vegetables, such as celery, carrots, or onions, to the filling for extra texture and flavor.
- Serve the tourtière with your favorite sides, such as mashed potatoes, gravy, or cranberry sauce.
Conclusion:
Tourtière is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's a great way to use up leftover turkey or chicken, and it's also a perfect meal to serve at a potluck or holiday gathering. With its flaky crust and savory filling, tourtière is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it.
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