Christmas Tourtière

This classic French-Canadian meat pie is a substantial dish, and a pleasant addition to your table for the holiday season. Here is a little bit of history :

 The tourtière is a French-Canadian meat pie that originated in the province of Quebec in Canada as early as 1600. Most recipes for tourtière include ground pork and other ground meats.  The tourtière is a traditional part of Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in Quebec, but the pie is also enjoyed at other times and throughout Canada. There is some debate about the origin of the name of the dish. Some believe that the dish is named after the now extinct passenger pigeons, called “tourtes,” that were cooked into the original pies.  Others argue that the pie is named after the deep ceramic baking dish that families used to create the pies.  It is, however, agreed that by 1611, the word tourtière had come to refer to the pastry containing meat or fish that was cooked in this medium-deep, round or rectangular dish. There are arguments as well about what variations of the dish are the “original” or “authentic” pies.  Regional variations depend on what foods were available in the area and family recipes have been passed down and altered through the years.  

 I love to make this every year, for our Christmas Eve Dinner, it's a nice little reminder of where I was born, and tastes great. I like to make the meat filling the day before, so all the flavors combine.This year I decided to make some Cranberry Ketchup to go along with it. They went together really, the kids absolutely loved it! As I made my tourtières this year, I wondered why I don´t make them more often, because the smell in the kitchen while making them is amazing!

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year, from my home to yours ! With Love, Diana

  

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”~Charles Dickens

1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
2 lb (907 g) ground pork
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) beef stock
3 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried summer savory
1/4 tsp (1 mL)  ground cloves
1 cup (250 mL) chopped fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh parsley
Pastry for 10-inch double-crust pie or Pastry for 9-inch double-crust pie (here)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp (5 mL) water


1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Cook pork, breaking up with spoon, for about 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain fat.
2. Stir in stock, onions, garlic, salt, cinnamon, pepper, savory, and cloves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, or until 2 tablespoons liquid is left. Stir in fresh bread crumbs and parsley. Taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Cover, and refrigerate until cold. The filling can be stored for up to one day.
3. Roll out pastry to about 1/8 inch thickness, and fit to pie plate. Spoon filling into shell. Roll out top pastry. Moisten rim of pie shell with water. Cover with top pastry, pressing edges together to seal. Trim and flute pastry edge. Beat egg with water, and brush over the top pastry. Cut steam vents in top.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.


recipe source