If you happened to spend Christmas Eve in Canada or New England — especially at my house in Maine when I was growing up — you might have been lucky enough to be invited to a festive dinner after midnight Mass. The feast is an old tradition from France called “reveillon”, and it was really something to look forward to after a long day of fasting.
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 and the upper Midwest and eastern United States. 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.
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 large baking potato
1 large onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 dash ground allspice
1/2 cup water
1 9 inch double crust pastry recipe or ready-made
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon paprika
DIRECTIONS:
1. Bake the potato until done, 30 - 45 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven. Peel and mash the potato.
2. Place the potato, ground pork, onion, spices and water in a large frying pan and simmer until very thick, for about one hour.
3. Meanwhile, prepare your pastry.
4. Line a deep-dish pie plate with pastry. Spoon in filling, spreading evenly. Cover with top crust.
5. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Cut steam vent. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F (serve warm) with your favorite condiment*
*So, the choice of condiment is always subject to deep debate among tourtiere “connoisseurs” – which is why I’ll stop short of making any personal recommendations.
I will say, however, that those most mentioned seem to be mustard, ketchup, butter, beef gravy, green tomato relish, pickled beets and even apple butter! This very traditional, savory meat pie is also good on its own. Whatever your preferences, I hope you will enjoy and try your hand at this recipe this holiday season.
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