New Years Eve Meat Pie Recipes

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.

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 MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add beef and pork; cook 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking up meat into crumbles. Drain., Stir tomato sauce and seasonings into meat mixture. Stir in spinach and potatoes. Remove from heat., Unroll one pastry sheet into a 9-in. pie plate; trim even with rim. Add filling. Unroll remaining pastry; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top. Bake 10 minutes., Reduce oven setting to 350°. Bake 45-55 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cover edge loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes if needed to prevent overbrowning.

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.