Recipe by Chef Heidi Fink
Tourtière
- Prep time 1 hour 15 mins
- Cook time 1 hour
- Ready in 2 hours 15 mins
- Yield Serves 8
This flavourful and hearty meat pie is a French-Canadian holiday classic. Lightly spiced beef, pork and aromatics in a super flaky crust, tourtiere is a favourite in the winter.
Ingredients
- Pastry
- Meat Filling
- Egg Wash
Directions
- PASTRY: In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Process for a few seconds to combine evenly.
- Remove the lid, scatter the butter pieces over the flour, replace the lid, and process again, using 4 to 6 one-second pulses.
- Add the lard and pulse a few more times, until the fat is cut into the flour properly.
- TIP: The fat pieces should range in size between small peas and cornmeal, with fewer large pieces and greater smaller pieces. But make sure to leave some large pieces and some dry flour, because these two things help with the flakiness.
- Transfer the flour mixture to a bowl. Toss with fingers to ensure an even balance of fat to dry flour.
- Slowly sprinkle in the water, one tablespoon at a time, using a fork or rubber spatula to mix the dough. Stop after 8 tablespoons of water, no matter what the dough looks like.
- Turn the dough onto a counter. The dough will be very dry and crumbly at this point. Use your hands to gently gather the dough into a ball, using gentle pressure to make it hold together. If the dough is still too dry, sprinkle on a tablespoon or two more water and mix the dough with your hands again, until you can form it into a ball.
- Divide the dough in two and form each into a disk. This dough can be used immediately, or wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated or frozen for later use.
- MEAT FILLING: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion. Cook and stir until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir celery and saute another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and spices and stir until everything is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add ½ cup of stock and stir to scrape everything up. Add ground pork, ground beef, and salt. Stir well and cook, breaking up the meat. Reduce heat to low and cook very gently, stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked through and tender, but there is still some liquid in the pan, about 30 to 40 minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 cup of stock if necessary.
- Stir in grated potato and mix well. Cook on low heat about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture should be thick, with no visible liquid. Taste for salt and adjust if needed.
- Transfer filling mixture to a large shallow bowl or tray and let cool completely.
- TIP: Filling can be made a day ahead.
- ASSEMBLE AND BAKE THE TOURTIERE: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
- Roll the one of the pastry pieces out on a lightly floured work surface into a 12-inch circle. Place in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
- Roll top crust out into an 11-inch circle; set aside.
- Fill bottom crust with meat mixture; smooth out the surface.
- Lightly rub the crust edge with your finger dipped in water (this helps the top crust to seal better). Cover meat filling with the top crust; press lightly around the edges to seal. Trim excess dough and crimp the edges. Cut small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
- Whisk together egg and water in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Brush entire surface of pie with egg wash.
- Bake in the preheated oven until crust is well browned, about 1 hour. Let cool to almost room temperature before serving.
- Serve with Apple Cranberry Chutney, if desired.
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