Christmas Pork Pie Food

TOURTIèRE: A FRENCH-CANADIAN MEAT PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.
• Cut in butter or lard until mixture is a rough crumbly texture.
• Add ice water one tablespoon at a time and mix just until the dough comes together.
• Shape the dough into a ball, flatten, wrap, and chill in the refrigerator. While pastry is chilling, prepare the filling.
• Peel and cut potatoes into 2-inch chunks, add them to a medium saucepan, and fill with water until it covers the potatoes by 2-inches.
• Bring the saucepan to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-high and boil until the potatoes are until tender, about 12 minutes.
• Reserve 1/2-cup of potato water and drain the rest. Mash potatoes and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add olive oil, onions, and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add the ground beef and pork and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off excess fat.
• Add the poultry seasoning, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and reserved potato water. Mix well and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
• Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in mashed potatoes, and set the filling aside to cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C
• On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half and flatten one ball of dough with your hands. Roll dough to about 12-inches in diameter to fit a 9-inch pie pan.
• Place the pastry into the pie plate and add the meat filling. Brush around the outer edge of the pastry with the beaten egg.
• Roll out the top pastry and place on top of the filling. Fold the top crust under the bottom crust and pinch or flute the edges. Brush with egg wash and cut vent holes.
• Bake the pie in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
• Remove the tourtière from oven and let it cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
• Yield: Makes 1 pie, about 8 servings.

CHRISTMAS PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Heat 1 tbsp oil and the butter in a frying pan, then add the onion and fry for 5 mins until softened. Cool slightly. Tip the sausagemeat, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, apricots, chestnuts and thyme into a bowl. Add the onion and cranberries, and mix everything together with your hands, adding plenty of pepper and a little salt.
• Cut each chicken breast into three fillets lengthwise and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, and fry the chicken fillets quickly until browned, about 6-8 mins.
• Roll out two-thirds of the pastry to line a 20-23cm springform or deep loose-based tart tin. Press in half the sausage mix and spread to level. Then add the chicken pieces in one layer and cover with the rest of the sausage. Press down lightly.
• Roll out the remaining pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and cover with the pastry lid. Pinch the edges to seal, then trim. Brush the top of the pie with egg, then roll out the trimmings to make holly leaf shapes and berries. Decorate the pie and brush again with egg.
• Set the tin on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 mins, then cool in the tin for 15 mins. Remove and leave to cool completely. Serve with a winter salad and pickles.

HOMESTYLE PORK POT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll out one of the pie crusts. Transfer the pie crust to a prepared pie pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
• **Note - To help with the transfer of the dough, roll the dough loosely onto the rolling pin and unroll it carefully over the pie pan. Press the dough into the pie pan and allow the excess to fold over the sides of the pan. Set aside.
• In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Switch to a whisk and add the chicken stock, salt, pepper, and garlic. Whisk continually until the mixture heats and thickens (approximately 5-7 minutes).
• Using a wooden spoon, stir in the thyme, mustard, pork, minced garlic, and frozen vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally to heat through.
• Carefully pour the pork filling into the prepared pie crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll the second pie crust out like the first one. Transfer the dough over the pork filling (on the rolling pin) and carefully unroll to cover.
• Use a paring knife to trim the excess dough away (saving some for the leaf garnish), and use a fork to press and seal the bottom and top crusts together.
• Use a paring knife to cut some steam holes into the top crust, and insert a pie bird (optional).
• Use some of the trimmed dough to cut out leaf shapes and use a little water to adhere the leaves to the top of the pie (optional).
• In a small bowl, mix the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over the top crust.
• Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is heated through.
• Cool for at least 20 minutes and serve.

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.

CHRISTMAS PORK PIE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into fruit mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in pork, pecans and salt., Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge of plate. Fill with meat mixture. Roll out remaining pastry to fit the top of pie; make decorative cutouts in pastry. Set cutouts aside. Place top crust over filling; trim, seal and flute edges., Brush pastry and cutouts with milk; place cutouts on top of pie. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

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.

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.

PORK PIE

Steps:

• For the double crust leaf lard pastry: In a bowl, mix the flour and salt together with 2 knives. Cut in the lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture, a spoonful at a time, stirring with a fork and adding just enough water so it holds together. Shape into a ball, press into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
• For the pork filling: Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp; remove to a plate. Add the pork and a pinch of salt and brown for 2 minutes; remove to a plate. Add the potatoes, celery, celery leaves, parsley, savory, garlic and onions and sweat for 3 to 5 minutes. Deglaze the skillet with 1 cup of water, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the pork and bacon back to the skillet with the cinnamon, cloves and a large pinch of salt, and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, 20 minutes.
• While the mixture is simmering, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the chilled pastry into two 13-inch rounds for a 10-inch double-crust pie, or into one 14-inch round for a single-crust pie. If using the double-crust method, line a 10-inch pie plate with one of the pastry rounds and fill with the meat mixture; cover with the remaining pastry. Trim and crimp the edges to seal, and cut small steam vents. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolk and milk mixture. If using the single-crust method, place the meat mixture in a 10-inch pie plate and cover with the single pastry round. Trim, press the edges into the sides of the pan and cut small steam vents in the center. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolk and milk mixture. Bake until the crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes and serve warm.

PORK PIE

Steps:

• Brown ground beef and ground pork over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. Drain off grease.
• Mix together cooked meat, potatoes, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Line a 9 inch pie dish with pastry. Spoon pork mixture into pie crust, and top with second pie crust. Brush top crust with egg white. Shield crust edges with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Remove foil for final 15 minutes of baking to brown edges.