Tourtiere Spices Food

TOURTIERE (MEAT PIE)

Steps:

• Combine salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, parsley, and thyme in a large bowl. Stir in red wine to make a marinade. Add meat the cubes and coat the meat thoroughly, using your hands if necessary to make sure all meat is covered by the marinade mixture. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• To a medium pot heat olive oil and add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and stir using a wooden spoon until soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add potatoes to the pot, stirring briefly, then add meat and brown slightly, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and add chicken broth. Simmer for about 30 minutes, remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Lay pie crust into a pie pan and spoon in the meat mixture. Cover with top crust, seal and pinch with fork. Cut slits in top crust to release steam and brush with egg wash.
• Place pie onto a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes until crust is golden brown. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

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.

TOURTIERE SPICE MIX

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
• 2. Store in a sealed jar.

TOURTIERE SPICES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine celery salt, pepper, savory, cloves, cinnamon, thyme, sage and mustard powder. Mix well and store in a sealed jar.

TOURTIERE: CANADIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375˚F.
• Heat a large skillet to medium high. Add the oil and onions, and sauté until translucent.
• Add garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add ground beef and pork and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat into small pieces.
• Add mashed potatoes and spices.
• In a small jar or container, shake beef broth and flour until smooth and pour into the skillet.
• Cook until the broth has thickened.
• Place the bottom crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Fill the crust with meat filling and top with remaining pie crust.
• Seal the two crusts together, rolling to one over the other if needed, and press gently with a fork or fingers. Brush the top crust with egg wash.
• Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown in color.

CLASSIC TOURTIèRE OR QUéBEC PORK PIE

Steps:

• In a large, heavy frying pan, combine pork with cold water and heat to boiling point. It should be slightly soupy.
• Add onion, celery, pepper, bay leaf, savory, rosemary, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 1 1/4 hours; stir often. Add more water if mixture dries out.
• Halfway through cooking time, season with salt to taste.
• Stir in rolled oats and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bay leaf and allow to cool. Setting the entire pot in the snow bank speeds up this process!
• Meanwhile, line two 9-inch pie plates with pastry. When meat mixture is lukewarm, divide it between two pie shells and spread it out evenly.
• Brush around outer edge of pastry with the beaten egg. Place top crust on the tart and press gently around the edge to seal. Trim pastry, crimp edges and cut steam vents in top crust. Decorate as desired.
• Bake in preheated 425°F oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F and bake another 25 minutes or until crust is golden.

TOURTIERE DU QUEBEC (FRENCH-CANADIAN MEAT PIE)

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients (except for pie shell) in a sauce pan and bring to boil and cook uncovered for 20 minutes over medium heat.
• Cool the meat mixture and pour in pastry lined pan. Note: I like to cool mine in refrigerator over night if time permits.
• Cover with the top crust, cut steam vents and bake in a 400F oven until golden, about 45 minutes.
• Freeze well.
• Note: If ground pork and ground veal cannot be found, you can use meatloaf mix which is all 3 meat but I'm not sure of the ratio.

TOURTIERE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the meat in batches until browned. Tip into a large bowl and set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan, then add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic. Fry for 8-10 mins until softened. Add this to the meat.
• Simmer the wine in the pan for 10 mins to reduce. Tip in the meat and veg, then the spices, thyme, bay and stock. Cook for 30 mins, uncovered. Stir in the oats and simmer for 15 mins. Discard the bay, then season. Cool completely.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a 20cm loose-bottom tin with the shortcrust pastry, pushing it into the sides of the tin. Leave 2cm of pastry overhanging and trim away the excess. Prick the bottom with a fork, cover with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 mins. Remove the parchment and beans, and bake for another 15 mins until golden.
• Trim the edges with a serrated knife and pack in the meat filling. Brush some of the egg around the edge of the pastry, then drape the puff pastry over the top, trim the edges and crimp all the way round with a fork. Use the puff pastry offcuts to make decorations for the pie, if you like (or see tip, below). Brush with more egg and make 4-5 holes in the top. Can be frozen for up to six weeks at this stage. Defrost thoroughly before baking. Bake at 190C/170C fan/gas 5 for 40-50 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins before serving.

TOURTIERE A L'ORIGNAL (FRENCH CANADIAN MOOSE MEAT PIE)

Steps:

• Combine Pork, moose, onion, garlic, spices, water and sauces in a skillet and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, or long enough to remove pink from meat. Mixture should be moist, not watery.
• Add enough potatoes to absorb the liquid. Cool.
• Fill crust, cover with top crust and seal edges. Cut vent holes.
• Combine egg and water and brush over pastry crust.
• Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

TOURTIèRE

Steps:

• Make the dough. In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and lard in stages, pulsing until the mixture forms bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist but not wet.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather into two balls. Flatten each into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Make the pork shoulder. Season the pieces of pork aggressively with salt and pepper. Put 1 tablespoon of the oil into a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, and set it over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, sear the meat on all sides until browned, turning as necessary, 10 minutes.
• Add the allspice berries and cinnamon sticks, and stir to toast them, then add the beer. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer steadily until the pork is very tender, 45 minutes to an hour. (When the pork is done, you can allow it to cool in its liquid and refrigerate it for one or two days before using.)
• Make the chicken or turkey. Heat oven to 325. Season the chicken or turkey thighs aggressively with salt and pepper, then roast in a cast-iron pan or shallow baking tray until their skin is crisp and they have cooked through, approximately 1 hour. (The chicken or turkey, too, may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator before using.)
• Make the pie filling. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven set over medium heat, and when it foams, add the onions, garlic and parsley. Cook, stirring often, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring often, until they are soft and have given up their liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine or stock, and stir to deglaze the pan, then cook until the liquid has evaporated, 5 minutes.
• Add the ground pork and the spices, and cook until the pork has lost its pinkness, 5 to 7 minutes. Add grated potato, and cook another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Shred the cooked chicken or turkey into the pot along with the cooked pork and about 1/2 cup of its braising liquid, stir lightly to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to a day.
• Assemble the pie. Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of oven, and heat to 400.
• Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator, and using a pin, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 10 to 11 inches in diameter. Fit this crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or cast-iron pan, trimming it to leave an overhang. Place this plate, with the dough, in the freezer.
• Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 10 to 11 inches in diameter.
• Remove pie crust from freezer, and put the chilled filling into it. Cover with remaining dough. Press the edges together, trim excess, then crimp the edges. Using a sharp knife, cut three or four steam vents in the top of the crust. Paint the pie's top with the egg wash.
• Place pie in oven on hot baking sheet, and cook for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350, and cook until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes more. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

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.

MY MOM'S FRENCH CANADIAN TOURTIèRE

Steps:

• For the Pastry: Follow the instructions for making the pie pastry from either of the recipe links above. Chill the dough until required.
• For the Tourtière Filling: In a Dutch Oven or large saucepan, place the ground meat, breaking it apart with a large fork.
• Cover the meat with water, or chicken stock or beef stock, just barely above the surface of the meat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then, lower the heat to a simmer. Mash the mixture with a potato masher to separate and blend the meat together.
• Add the onion, garlic clove, chicken bouillon cube, sage, poultry seasoning, garlic salt, pepper and seasoned salt to the mixture. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 1 ½ hours. (You are essentially braising the meat).
• The moisture will evaporate and become absorbed into the meat mixture during the braising process, creating a savoury meat filling. CHEF TIP: Do not drain all of the fat from the mixture as this is what helps bind the tourtière filling.
• Crush the soda crackers and stir into the meat mixture.
• Taste the meat mixture for seasoning and adjust (tweak) as necessary. It should taste quite savoury. Tweaking ingredients could include, according to your taste: 1 -2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; a drop or two of lemon juice; a grind or two more of pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard; 1/2 teaspoon celery salt; additional sage, poultry seasoning and or 1/2 teaspoon summer savoury.
• Let the meat mixture cool completely before filling the pie shells. The mixture should be quite thick. If you are not ready to make the pies; refrigerate the mixture. CHEF TIP: For longer storage, I measure the amount of filling that I will need to fill a shallow pie shell (about 1 lb of filling/500 g) and seal it using a vacuum sealer system.
• Line two 8 inch pie shells with pastry. Divide the tourtière filling between the two pies and spread evenly. Brush the outer edges of the pie crust with water and place the top crust onto the pie and press the edges gently to seal.
• Trim the edges and crimp the edges with a fork like my Mom did or create your own scalloped edge. Cut a few steam vents in the top of the crust. Decorate the pie, if desired.
• Bake in a preheated 425°F oven (400°F if using a Convection oven) for 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 375°F (350°F if using a Convection oven) for a further 25 minutes or until the crust is golden.
• To Serve: Cut each 8 " pie into 6 - 8 pieces. Serve the tourtière warm (or cold the next day). Refrigerate any leftovers. Enjoy!

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS TOURTIèRE RECIPE

Steps:

• Make your pie crust. Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour before rolling out.
• Place potato quarters in a pot with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium high until cooked through (10 to 15 minutes). Reserve ½ cup of potato cooking water, strain potatoes and return them to the pot. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and mash potatoes with a potato masher.
• Melt butter in a large skillet and add diced onions. Cook onions for a few minutes until they're translucent and starting to brown. Add chopped garlic and mix well.
• Add ground beef and ground pork and brown for a couple minutes. Then add salt, pepper, dried herbs and spices and mix well to combine.
• Add the ½ cup of reserved potato water and stir everything together to combine.
• Cook the meat filling over medium heat for about half an hour or until excess liquid has evaporated.
• Add in mashed potato and stir well to combine. Meat filling should be thick and almost paste-like, so break down any large chunks. Let filling cool while you prepare your crust and preheat the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Cut your pie crust in half and shape one half into a disc. Generously flour your surface or countertop as well as a rolling pin and roll out your crust to fit a 9" pie pan. Place your bottom crust into the pie pan and get ready to add your filling.
• Spoon the meat filling into the bottom pie crust. Then roll out the other half of your pie crust and place on top. (Make sure to cut a hole or slits in the middle of the pie crust so that steam can escape). Crimp the edge of the pie crust and brush with egg wash.
• Bake pie for one hour, then remove from the oven and let cool. Alternatively, place unbaked pie in the freezer and bake from frozen later (just add an extra 15-20 minutes to your baking time).