Mom's Tourtières

Sage's Note:

These are the meat pies I have been making for the past 45 years. Recipe that my mother used to make. This is always made before Christmas. At one time I used to make 30 meat pies, but I have cut down to 12.

• Total Time: 3 hrs
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 4 meatpies

• 2 lbs ground lean pork
• 2 lbs ground veal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup water

Pie Crust

• 1 lb lard, cold-cubed
• 6 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup ice cold water

Directions:

1. Meat.
2. Combine pork, veal, salt, pepper and onion in large saucepan. Mix well. Add water and bay leaf. Bring to a slow boil and simmer on Medium-Low for about 1 hour until meat is cooked. Remove bay leaf.
3. Makes 4 (9") or 3 (deep dish) pies.
4. Pie Crust:Flaky and easy to make tourtiere crust.
5. Pour half the flour, half the salt in bowl of processor. Add half the lard and pulse till mixture is crumbly.
6. Gradually add half the water, approximately, and pulse till mixture leaves the side of the bowl STOPPING before it forms a ball.
7. Shape dough in 4 flat disks. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
8. Makes double crust for 4 (9") or 3 (deep dish) pies.
9. Tips:.
10. Cool meat at least one hour before filling crust.
11. Add meat juices sparingly when filling pie to avoid soggy bottom crust.
12. Freeze meat pies individually before double wrapping in foil.
13. Baking.
14. If you froze them in foil plates, transfer frozen pie to metal or Pyrex pie plate and bake at preheated oven 375* for 1½ hours (bottom shelf in oven).
15. Tip:.
16. Extra meat simmered with cubed potatoes make for the evening meal on baking day, a ritual when I was growing up and a tradition with our boys.