Canadian Meat Pie

by LEON BOUTEILLER

This meat pie known as Tourtiere originated in Quebec Canada. It is made of ground meat, usually beef and/or pork with onions, herbs and spices and baked in a traditional pie crust. It is popular throughout Canada and northern New England. It originated in the logging camps and saw mills as an inexpensive way to feed European immigrant laborers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most were French others Irish and Scandinavian. In some communities the dish is a holiday favorite but it is ubiquitous across the eastern provinces of Canada. I know this for I traveled three years from Toronto Ontario to St. John’s Newfoundland in a rock-and-roll band in the mid-seventies, we found this dish at innumerable cafes and diners along the way.

There are as many recipes as there are cooks. Sometimes it is served with potatoes although mashed potato is in the pie. Often it is served with pickles or chutneys and occasionally with gravy. Always well-seasoned with herbs and spices, some recipes ask for poultry seasoning, Bell’s in particular. I prefer to make my own blend of seasoning.

This recipe is made with beef and lamb, an interesting variation found in researching the pie's history, a tasty and satisfying plate easy to assemble. If you have a favorite pie dough then use that. You’ll need enough for top and bottom of a nine inch pie pan, not too shallow. I have included a recipe for the dough.

CANADIAN STYLE MEAT PIE
Serves Eight

Ingredients for the dough:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
2 sticks cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
⅓ cup cold water, about

Method for the dough:

Place the flours, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse once or twice
Add the cubed butter to the bowl and pulse 5 or 6 times until the butter is the size of small peas
With the motor running, drizzle in the water until just incorporated
The dough should hold together when pressed, but not be wet. Add a teaspoon of water at a time if it is too dry
Divide the dough in half and form 2 disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed

Ingredients for the filling:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground lamb
1 cup finely chopped onion
½ cup grated celery root, grated on the large holes of a box grater
½ cup grated carrot, grated on the box grater
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup mashed potatoes, either leftover or freshly made by boiling 2 medium potatoes in salted water, drained and mashed with a hand masher or a food mill
½ cup beef stock
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Spice blend
1 egg blended with 1 tablespoon water for an egg wash

Ingredients for the spice blend:

1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Blend all of these seasonings together in a small bowl and set aside

Method for the filling:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
Sauté the onion for a minute or two then add the celery root, carrot and garlic and cook until softened
Add the spice blend to the pan and stir to blend for 1 minute
Add the beef and the lamb to the pan, breaking the meats up and mashing to keep from forming chunks
When the pink is gone from the meats, add the flour and distribute it evenly, then lower the heat to medium low
Add the beef stock, stir and cook until thickened. About 2 minutes
Add the mashed potatoes and stir and mash the potatoes into the meat mixture until there are no pieces of potato larger than a pea
Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature, or refrigerate overnight

To assemble and bake the pie:

Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator and let warm up for 20 minutes
Roll the bottom crust out and place in the pie dish
Put the filling in the dish and spread it out evenly to the edges
Roll out the top crust and place on top of the pie
Turn the edges of the top crust under the bottom crust and crimp the edges together
Brush the top liberally with the egg wash and then cut a few vent slits evenly around the top of the pie
Bake in a preheated 365F degree convection oven for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and at least 155F degrees internally when tested with a thermometer
Remove from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes

This may be an unusual main course but it is a hearty and satisfying center plate for lunch or dinner. Serve with some roasted vegetable like cauliflower, a side salad or sautéed greens. Some pickles, relish or chutney is traditional. You can use ketchup here,but it may mask the deliciousness of the dish itself.

Enjoy!