Tourtière is a classic French-Canadian meat pie, especially popular during the holiday season and on cold winter evenings. A tender spiced filling sits inside crisp pastry.
This version combines pork and beef with onion, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, and allspice. Chilling the pastry and cooling the filling before assembly keeps the crust flaky.
Let the cooked filling cool until barely warm before it goes into the pastry so steam does not soften the bottom crust.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm wedges with cranberry relish, mustard, pickles, or a crisp green salad.
Recipe Notes
The baked pie keeps refrigerated for up to 4 days and reheats well in a 180°C oven. Freeze a fully baked pie for up to 2 months.
Canadian Tourtière
A flaky French-Canadian meat pie filled with warmly spiced pork, beef, onion, and herbs.
Equipment
- 9-inch pie dish
- Large skillet
- Rolling Pin
- Mixing bowl
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Pastry
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter cubed
- 1/2 cup ice water add gradually
- 1 large egg beaten for brushing
Filling
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Pastry:
- Whisk the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter until coarse crumbs form.
- Stir in ice water just until the dough holds together. Divide into two discs, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Cook the Filling:
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft.
- Add the pork and beef and cook until no longer pink. Stir in the thyme, cinnamon, allspice, stock, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer for 8 minutes, then cool the filling to room temperature.
Assemble and Bake:
- Heat the oven to 200°C. Roll one pastry disc into a 9-inch round and fit it into the pie dish.
- Fill with the cooled meat mixture. Cover with the second pastry round, crimp the edge, cut vents, and brush with beaten egg.
- Bake for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 180°C, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until deeply golden. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Chill the assembled pie for 15 minutes if the pastry feels soft.
- For a make-ahead pie, assemble it one day ahead and refrigerate before baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 22gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 680mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2g