Tourtiere (French Canadian Meat Pie)

Chef John's version of this Christmas Eve staple is incredibly simple to make, with a homemade flaky crust and a spiced pork, beef, and potato filling.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 767 Calories

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, sliced, frozen
• 1 large russet potato, peeled, quartered
• 1 cup potato cooking water, plus more as needed
• 7 tablespoons ice-cold water, or as needed
• 0.25 teaspoon ground mustard
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.25 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger
• 0.125 teaspoon ground cloves
• 0.25 teaspoon ground allspice
• 0.5 teaspoon dried sage
• 0.5 cup finely diced celery

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Transfer mixture to a work surface. Press together until it forms a ball. Flatten to a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Step 2

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 celery, garlic, and spice blend into the skillet with onions. Stir until onion mixture is evenly coated with spices, about 30 seconds.

Step 3

Divide chilled dough into 2 pieces, one just slightly larger than the other. Roll the larger piece out on a lightly floured work surface into a 12-inch circle. Place in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Roll top crust out into an 11-inch circle; set aside.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven until crust is well browned, about 1 hour. Let cool to almost room temperature before serving.

Step 5

Gather all ingredients.

Step 6

To make the crust: Place flour, frozen butter, and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until butter breaks down to pea size, about 30 seconds. Stir together cold water and vinegar; drizzle over flour mixture. Pulse on and off until mixture is crumbly and holds together when pinched, about 10 seconds. Drizzle in more cold water if mixture is too dry.

Step 7

To make the spice blend: Mix together salt, black pepper, thyme, sage, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, mustard, clove, and cayenne in a small bowl; set aside.

Step 8

To make the filling: Place potatoes and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer potatoes to a bowl, reserving potato cooking water in the saucepan. Mash potatoes with a potato masher until smooth; set aside.

Step 9

Add ground pork, ground beef, and about 3/4 cup potato cooking water to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is brown and tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 45 minutes. Stir in mashed potatoes, turn off heat, and let cool to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 10

Fill bottom crust with meat mixture; smooth out the surface. Whisk together egg and water in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Brush egg wash over the edges of the bottom crust. Cover with top crust; press lightly around the edges to seal. Trim excess dough and crimp the edges. Cut small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush entire surface of pie with egg wash.