Tourtière (French Canadian Pork Pie)

Step 1

Sauté the minced onion in the oil or butter in a heavy-bottomed pot or skillet with high sides over medium high heat.

Step 2

Once the onions are translucent, add the ground pork and spices. Cook until the meat has browned, stirring often.

Step 3

Remove your pan from the heat and add the potatoes to the un-drained meat mixture. (This is if you are using lean meat. If you’re not sure if your meat is lean and you think you have A LOT of fat in there, then drain some off.)

Step 4

Roll out slightly more than half of your pie crust dough for the bottom crust. Place it into a 9 inch pie dish.

Step 5

Fill the crust with your (slightly cooled) meat filling mixture.

Step 6

Roll out the remainder of your crust dough for your top crust. Cut some air holes into the top crust.

Step 7

Moisten the edges of the bottom crust with a little water on your finger. Place the top crust over the filling. Press the two crust edges together to seal, fluting with your fingers or adding a decorative edge with the tines of a fork, if desired.

Step 8

If baking your pie immediately: Preheat your oven to 400F. Cover the edges of the pie with a strip of aluminum foil. (If you are using an aluminum pie tin, place the tin on a baking sheet.) Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. When the center starts to brown, pull off the aluminum foil from the edges and let the pie continue to cook until the edges are golden brown (30-40 minutes).

Step 9

If freezing immediately: Let the filing in the prepared pie cool completely before Wrap the pie in plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc bag. The pie will keep frozen like this for up to a year.

Step 10

To bake from frozen: Take the pie out of the freezer the night before and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the edges of the pie with a strip of aluminum foil. (If you are using an aluminum pie tin, place the tin on a baking sheet.) Place the cold pie in a cold oven. Turn your oven to 400F. Allow the oven to preheat with the cold pie in it. Once the oven is up to temperature, bake for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, until a knife stuck in the center comes out warm or a thermometer inserted in the center reads 160F and your crust is golden brown. Pull the foil off of the edges for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

Step 11

To warm a pre-cooked (but not frozen) pie: Cover the edges of the pie with a strip of aluminum foil. (If you are using an aluminum pie tin, place the tin on a baking sheet.) Place the pie from the refrigerator into a cold oven. Turn the oven to 350F. Once the oven is up to temperature, reheat for 30 minutes, until a knife stuck in the center comes out warm or a thermometer inserted in the center reads 160F.

Step 12

Let the cooked pie cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Step 13

Serve hot, warm, or cold. Store leftovers in the fridge.