Tourtière (Traditional French Canadian Meat Pie)

Tourtière, a traditional French Canadian meat pie typically served during the holidays but with an Italian twist!

Course Main Course

Cuisine French-Canadian

Keyword tourtière, meat pie

Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 2 15

Servings -9 inch pies

Calories 2477kcal

Place the ground meat in a large dutch oven and cook slowly over low heat, stirring often. Stir in the black pepper, celery salt, ground sage, salt and onion. Continue to cook on low heat for 1 1/2 hours. After an hour, add the grated potato. .
When the meat is ready, transfer to a wide, shallow bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Place the flour in a large bowl. Add salt and baking powder and stir until combined. Cut the shortening into cubes and using your fingers or a pastry blender, work the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles course crumbs.
In a separate small bowl, beat together the egg, water and vinegar. Add to the flour mixture and press together with your hands until a dough is formed. Shape the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven at 375°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into 4 pieces. Flour your work surface as well as a rolling pin and roll the dough into a circle (about 1/8 inch thick) wide enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pie plate. Transfer dough to the pie plate.
Using a sharp knife, trim the excess dough hanging over the rim of the pie plate. Reserve the excess dough for the top crust. Repeat for the remaining 3 pies.
Divide the meat mixture among the 4 pie crusts.
Roll the remaining dough pieces together and divide into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a circle to cover the meat mixture. Carefully transfer the dough onto the filled pie. Fold the top edges under the bottom crust. Press the edges of the dough together to seal and crimp as desired. Cut slits into the top crust to vent steam while baking.
Beat the remaining egg and using a pastry brush to coat each pie crust with the egg.
Bake 45 minutes, until the pie crusts are golden brown.
Serve hot.

To save time, prepare the dough and cook the meat a day ahead and place in the refrigerator. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to rolling.
Be sure to keep the dough in plastic wrap until ready to use or it may dry out.

Different combinations of ground meat may be used including beef, veal and/or pork.
I prefer the flavor of butter in the pie crust, but vegetable shortening may be substituted if you prefer.
The tourtières may be served immediately, or let cool completely on a baking rack, wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the oven. If the top begins to brown, cover with a sheet of foil.
Please note that the nutritional information provided is for one tourtière.