Tourtière

Ingredients

Pastry

• 400 gplain flour
• 1 tspfine salt
• 200 gcold unsalted butter, cubed
• 60 gcold vegetable shortening
• 120 mlice water
• 1 tbspwhite vinegar
• 1egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk, to glaze

Filling

• 600 gminced pork, not lean
• 300 gminced beef
• 2onions, finely diced
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 1celery stick, finely diced
• 250 mlchicken or veal stock
• 1medium potato, boiled and mashed, or 60 g fresh breadcrumbs

Spices

• 1 tspground cinnamon
• ½ tspground cloves
• ½ tspground allspice
• ½ tspground nutmeg
• 1 tspdried summer savory (sarriette)
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 1bay leaf

Directions

1. Make the pastry: rub the cold butter and shortening into the flour and salt until pea-sized, bind with the ice water and vinegar, and chill in two discs for at least 1 hour.
2. Cook the onion, celery and garlic in a heavy pan over medium heat for 8 minutes until soft but not coloured.
3. Add both minced meats and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, until they lose their pink colour — about 8 minutes. Do not brown them hard; tourtière filling should be pale and moist, not seared.
4. Add the stock, all the spices, the savory, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has almost gone and the mixture is thick and glossy.
5. Stir in the mashed potato or breadcrumbs to bind any remaining fat and liquid, remove the bay leaf, and taste for salt and spice. It should be assertively spiced — the flavours mute considerably once cold.
6. Cool the filling completely, ideally overnight in the fridge. Warm filling melts the pastry from the inside and makes the base soggy.
7. Line a 23 cm pie plate with rolled pastry, fill it, brush the rim with water and lay the lid on. Seal, crimp, trim, and cut two or three steam vents. Brush with egg wash and chill 20 minutes.
8. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes, then reduce to 180°C (350°F) for a further 35 to 40 minutes until the crust is deep gold and you can see the filling bubbling at the vents. Rest 15 minutes before cutting, and serve with tomato ketchup or a fruit chutney.

Technique

• Tourtière is Réveillon food, eaten after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and through the holidays in Quebec. Every family has its own spice balance, and cinnamon and clove are the ones people argue about.
• Two quite different pies share the name. The urban tourtière is this shallow ground-meat pie; the Lac-Saint-Jean tourtière is a deep pie of cubed meats and potato baked for six hours or more, and the two should not be confused.
• Summer savory is the herb that makes it taste Québécois rather than generically spiced. Thyme is close but not the same; sarriette has a peppery, resinous edge.

Substitutions

• Veal or game can replace part of the beef; a mix of pork with rabbit or venison is traditional in older recipes.
• No summer savory: use two thirds thyme and one third dried marjoram, and add a pinch more black pepper.

Variations

• Tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean layers cubed meats and diced potato in a deep dish with stock and bakes it at 160°C (325°F) for 5 to 6 hours until the crust sinks into the filling.
• Some Gaspésie versions include salmon or other fish, reflecting the coastal larder.

History

A meat pie of New France documented since the 17th century; the name may come from the tourte, the passenger pigeon once used as filling.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tourtière?

Tourtière is a main from Canada: spiced pork and beef pie, a Quebecois Christmas tradition. A meat pie of New France documented since the 17th century; the name may come from the tourte, the passenger pigeon once used as filling.

How long does Tourtière take to make?

Tourtière takes 40 min plus chilling of preparation and 1 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Tourtière?

Yes, within limits. Veal or game can replace part of the beef; a mix of pork with rabbit or venison is traditional in older recipes. No summer savory: use two thirds thyme and one third dried marjoram, and add a pinch more black pepper.

What is the most important thing to get right in Tourtière?

Add both minced meats and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, until they lose their pink colour — about 8 minutes. Do not brown them hard; tourtière filling should be pale and moist, not seared.