Cooking in Canada: Tourtière

St. Jovite Quebec

La Tourtière is a meat pie with it's origins deeply routed in the province of Quebec.

It is traditionaly served with tomato Ketchup, but depending on the region and ones taste, it can really be served however you like it.

Traditionally it is a pie that is eaten over the Christmas holidays by families across Canada (usually with French Canadian ancestry) and the North Eastern areas of the States (Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, New York etc).

Ingredients

Pie pastry

- 100 g (3 1/2 oz.) vegetable shortening

- 150 g (about 1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 125 ml (1/2 cup) cold water

Basic tourtière recipe from the St. Jovite region

- 500 g (18 oz.) fresh ground pork butt

- 1 large onion, minced

- 125 ml (1/2 cup) breadcrumbs

- Salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg

Method

1. Put the pork and onion into a large pot; season; cover with water and let simmer over medium heat for 90 minutes or until the water has completely, or almost completely, evaporated;
2. break up the meat with a fork; correct the seasoning;
3. lay the bottom pie crust in a lightly buttered pie plate, letting the dough hang over the edges slightly; prick all over with a fork; place the filling into the crust, spreading it evenly with a spatula;
4. cover with the top crust; lightly moisten the edges to seal the top and bottom crusts together and pinch them with your fingers;
5. roll a small piece of aluminum foil around your finger and stick it two-thirds of the way into the middle of the pie to form a little steam vent;
6. brush with an egg beaten with a little milk; bake at 200° C (400° F) for 10 minutes;
7. reduce the temperature to 180° C (350° F) and continue baking for about 20 minutes until the crust is golden.

- Recipe from World Wide Gourmet

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