Tourtiere
Tourtiere is a French Canadian tradition that is often made on Christmas eve. It's a meat pie, often filled with pork and beef.
Servings: 8
Calories: 410kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion minced
- 1 medium carrot minced
- 1 stalk celery minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 pounds combination of ground beef, pork and/or chicken (see note)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes or 1 russet potato, cooked and mashed
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 2 unbaked pie crusts store bought or homemade
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add minced onion, minced carrot, minced celery, minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes, reducing heat to medium if vegetables begin to brown.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 2 pounds combination of ground beef, pork and/or chicken and break up with a spoon. Cook until browned, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup water and 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes, and continue to simmer, uncovered until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. (You can refrigerate the cooked meat mixture until ready to cook the pie, up to 2 days).
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 large egg and 1 Tablespoon milk. Set aside.
- Move oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 425°F. Roll one of the pie crusts into a 9 inch pie pan. Spoon the meat filling into the crust. Using your finger or a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the pie crust with the egg wash. Place the remaining pie crust on the top of the filling. Crimp the two pie crust together, and cut off any excess. Cut steam vents in the center of the pie with a paring knife. Brush the top of the pie lightly with the egg wash.
- Bake pie for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F and continue to bake until the top of the crust is well browned, about 35-40 more minutes. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
Tourtiere is most often made with half ground beef and half ground pork. I prefer to make mine with half ground beef and half ground chicken to cut down on fat and calories as well as reduce red meat intake. However, I don't recommend using all ground chicken as I believe this would negatively impact the flavor and texture of the tourtiere.
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 530mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g
