Christmas Eve Tortiere Joans Pork Pie Food

FAVORITE FRENCH CANADIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pork, beef, veal, potatoes and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the garlic, seasonings and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently., Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in bread crumbs. Combine egg and remaining water; stir into meat mixture. , Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Fill with meat mixture. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top. Cover edges loosely with foil., Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil. Reduce heat to 375°; bake 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

TOURTIERE (FRENCH PORK PIE)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, mix together the ground pork, cloves, cinnamon, onion, salt, celery, bay leaf and water. The water will help break up the raw pork. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 3 hours, or until the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf.
• Towards the end of the pork cooking time, place the potatoes into a separate saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and mash potatoes. When the pork is done, stir the mashed potatoes into that pan until evenly blended.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line two 9 inch pie plates with bottom crusts. Spoon equal amounts of the pork filling into each crust. Cover with top crusts and flute the edges to seal.
• Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crust is golden brown.

TOURTIèRE (FRENCH CANADIAN PORK PIE)

Steps:

• Sauté the minced onion in the oil or butter in a heavy-bottomed pot or skillet with high sides over medium high heat.
• Once the onions are translucent, add the ground pork and spices. Cook until the meat has browned, stirring often.
• Remove your pan from the heat and add the potatoes to the un-drained meat mixture. (This is if you are using lean meat. If you're not sure if your meat is lean and you think you have A LOT of fat in there, then drain some off.)
• Roll out slightly more than half of your pie crust dough for the bottom crust. Place it into a 9 inch pie dish.
• Fill the crust with your (slightly cooled) meat filling mixture.
• Roll out the remainder of your crust dough for your top crust. Cut some air holes into the top crust.
• Moisten the edges of the bottom crust with a little water on your finger. Place the top crust over the filling. Press the two crust edges together to seal, fluting with your fingers or adding a decorative edge with the tines of a fork, if desired.
• If baking your pie immediately: Preheat your oven to 400F. Cover the edges of the pie with a strip of aluminum foil. (If you are using an aluminum pie tin, place the tin on a baking sheet.) Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. When the center starts to brown, pull off the aluminum foil from the edges and let the pie continue to cook until the edges are golden brown (30-40 minutes).
• If freezing immediately: Let the filing in the prepared pie cool completely before Wrap the pie in plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc bag. The pie will keep frozen like this for up to a year.
• To bake from frozen: Take the pie out of the freezer the night before and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the edges of the pie with a strip of aluminum foil. (If you are using an aluminum pie tin, place the tin on a baking sheet.) Place the cold pie in a cold oven. Turn your oven to 400F. Allow the oven to preheat with the cold pie in it. Once the oven is up to temperature, bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until a knife stuck in the center comes out warm or a thermometer inserted in the center reads 160F and your crust is golden brown. Pull the foil off of the edges for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
• To warm a pre-cooked (but not frozen) pie: Cover the edges of the pie with a strip of aluminum foil. (If you are using an aluminum pie tin, place the tin on a baking sheet.) Place the pie from the refrigerator into a cold oven. Turn the oven to 350F. Once the oven is up to temperature, reheat for 30 minutes, until a knife stuck in the center comes out warm or a thermometer inserted in the center reads 160F.
• Let the cooked pie cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
• Serve hot, warm, or cold. Store leftovers in the fridge.

CHRISTMAS EVE TORTIERE (JOAN'S PORK PIE)

Steps:

• Boil and mash the potatoes.
• Combine pork, onion, garlic, mace, sage, clove, pepper and brown meat.
• Add stock and simmer until most of liquid absorbed.
• Add additional salt and pepper to meat mixture to taste.
• Combine potato and meat mixture and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Fill pie crust and add second crust to cover. Crimp edges and use any leftover crust for holiday decorations.
• Slit top crust to let out steam.
• Bake 60 minutes at 375 degrees.

SPECIAL PORK TOURTIERE

Steps:

• Combine pork, water, onion, garlic, apple, raisins, apricots and seasonings in pan.
• Bring to a boil.
• then simmer uncovered, until liquid has evaporated (45 min) Stir often.
• Remove from heat, stir in bread crumbs and cool to room temperature.
• When filling is cooled pour into two unbaked pie shells, cover, brush top shell with milk Place pies in 400°F preheated oven for 10 minute.
• Reduce heat to 350°F for 25- 35 minutes.
• Pies freeze well.

REVEILLON TOURTIERE

Steps:

• 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.
• Stir in stock, onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery, 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.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• 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.
• Bake in preheated oven until pastry is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

CHRISTMAS EVE PORK PIE

Steps:

• Cut up potatoes, cook in boiling water to cover for 20 minutes.
• Drain; mash.
• In a large skillet, brown pork, drain off all fat.
• Stir in the rest of the ingredients except potatoes.
• Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Stir in potatoes, cool.
• Roll half the pastry into 12 inch circle.
• Line a 9 inch pie plate.
• Trim even with rim.
• Fill with meat mixture.
• Roll out remaining dough, slit.
• Place atop filling, trim to 1/2 inch beyond rim.
• Seal and flute.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

FRENCH CANADIAN TOURTIERE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine pork, beef, onion, garlic, water, salt, thyme, sage, black pepper and cloves. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils; stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is cooked, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Spoon the meat mixture into the pie crust. Place top crust on top of pie and pinch edges to seal. Cut slits in top crust so steam can escape. Cover edges of pie with strips of aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes; remove foil and return to oven. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing.