French-Canadian Tourtière

mersaydees's Note:

Based on a recipe from the November/December 2009 issue of AAA’s magazine, Northern New England Journey. The intro says, “…a traditional French-Canadian meat pie...” with the “… fragrance of cloves and holiday spices….” In addition, it goes on, “The name’s origin is disputed. The French might have named the dish for fowl called tourtes, now hunted to extinction, or after a baking dish called a tourtière. Some iterations combine different meats, some include potatoes or mushrooms; there are even vegetarian recipes. All versions call for a savory spiced filling in a double crust served warm, at room temperature, or cold.” I haven’t tried this yet.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 pie

• 1 lb ground lean pork
• ½ lb lean ground beef
• 1 onion , diced
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme , crushed
• ¼ teaspoon ground sage
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄8; teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie
• 3 tablespoons milk (for brushing over the pie)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Add ground meats to large saucepan and mix.
3. Add the next eight ingredients to pan and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Skim off excess fat.
4. Using half the pastry, line a pie pan, then press the filling into the shell.
5. Top filling with second half of pie pastry and crimp the edged together.
6. Cut slits in the top of the crust and brush the top with milk.
7. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until nicely browned. Tip: if the crust browns too quickly, reduce heat to 350°F or cover the crust edges with foil.
8. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.