Tunisian Meat Pie Recipes

TOURTIERE (FRENCH CANADIAN MEAT PIE)

Steps:

• Place flour, salt, and frozen butter slices into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until butter is about the size of peas, about 30 seconds. Stir vinegar into cold water; drizzle water/vinegar into the flour mixture. Pulse on and off until mixture is crumbly and holds together when you pinch a piece off, about 10 seconds. If dough isn't pressing together, drizzle in another teaspoon of water.
• Transfer mixture to a work surface. Press it together until it becomes a lump of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Mix salt, pepper, thyme, sage, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, mustard, clove, and cayenne together in a small bowl.
• Place potato quarters in a saucepan; cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat. Simmer until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Scoop out potatoes and transfer to a bowl; save cooking liquid. Mash potatoes with a potato masher.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir until onions turn golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir garlic, celery, and spice blend into the skillet with onions. Stir until onion mixture is evenly coated with the spices, about 30 seconds. Add ground beef and ground pork. Ladle about 3/4 cup of the potato cooking liquid into the skillet.
• Cook and stir until meat is browned and has a very fine, almost pastelike texture. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 45 minutes. Stir in mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Divide chilled dough into 2 pieces, one just slightly larger than the other. Roll the larger piece out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface. Place in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Roll top crust out into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Cut small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
• Fill bottom crust with the meat mixture; smooth out the surface. Whisk egg and water together to make egg wash. Brush edges of the bottom crust with egg wash. Place top crust on the pie and press lightly around the edges to seal. Trim excess dough from the crust. Crimp the edges of the crust. Brush entire surface of the pie with egg wash.
• Place in preheated oven. Bake until well browned, about 1 hour. Let cool to almost room temperature before serving.

TUNISIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet, brown onion and meat in oil; remove from heat.
• Mix in potatoes, chopped eggs, parsley, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir in beaten eggs; blend well.
• Place mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch round pan or an ovenproof casserole.
• Bake for 45 minutes.
• Serve in wedges.

ITALIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Brown ground beef and drain.
• Add green pepper and cook 2 minutes.
• Add water, tomato paste and spaghetti sauce mix; cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesean cheese on bottom of pie shell.
• Spread 1/2 meat mixture on top of parmesean and then layer 1 cup Mozarella.
• Layer remaining meat mixture.
• Top with 1/4 cup Parmesean.
• Bake on cookie sheet in 400-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
• Sprinkle with 1 cup Mozarella and heat until melted (10 minutes).

MEXICAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Brown beef with onion and pepper in a skillet.
• Pour off fat.
• Stir in tomato sauce, salt, oregano, and hot spices, if desired.
• Simmer 10 minutes.
• Place meat mixture in pie shell.
• Place top crust, seal, and prick.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Alternate:.
• Leave off top crust and top after cooking with shredded cheese like cheddar or Monterey Jack.
• Would probably be excellent with cumin instead of the oregano, but I haven't tried this yet.

MEDIEVAL MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Broil the meat till very rare, but cooked through.
• Cut it into small cubes.
• Mix with all other ingredients except the pie shell.
• For the broth, just add enough to make the mixture a little wetter.
• Put the mixture into the pie shell.
• Be sure the shell lid is sealed, and punch some holes in the top with a knife.
• Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes to an hour, till the shell is golden brown.
• Makes 6-8 slices, and can be served any temperature.
• It's easiest to cut when cold.

ALSATIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Remove puff pastry from package and wrapping. Allow to thaw for approximately 40 minutes until it can be opened without cracking.
• Place brioche in a bowl, add milk and mix. Set aside.
• Begin sweating onions in olive oil. Make a well in the onions, add garlic and saute for a minute. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Set aside to cool.
• Separate two of the eggs. Add the remaining whole egg to the whites.
• Add a splash of water to the two yolks and mix together. Set aside.
• Place ground pork, soaked brioche, onions (reserve the dirty saute pan), salt, pepper, coriander, nutmeg, whole egg plus two whites, in bowl. Strip leaves from thyme sprigs into bowl. Mix until combined.
• Saute a teaspoon or two of the pork mixture in the saute pan. Taste and correct seasoning as necessary.
• Roll out first sheet of puff pastry with a dusting of flour and place in a greased 9-inch pie plate. Trim.
• Spoon pork filling into crust in pie plate.
• Roll out second sheet of puff pastry. Place on top of pie and trim to the edge of the pie plate or a bit wider than that. Tuck the cut end of the crust between the pie plate and the bottom crust. Cut a 1-inch vent in the center of the top crust. Brush the top of the pie with the egg yolk-water mixture. If desired, cut decorative pieces of puff pastry from the trimmings and place on top of the pie. Brush the decorations with the egg yolk-wash.
• Bake for 45 minutes at 400°F Use an instant-read thermometer to verify that the filling temperature is 160°F Cook longer if necessary.
• Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
• Slice and serve with a salad and beer.