French-Canadian Style Meat Pie

There are many versions of meat pies, some that include cheddar cheese; however, the French-Canadian meat pie (tortiere), that is one of my favorites, does not have cheese.  My version of this meat pie that is traditionally served around Christmas time, is a favorite in our house and includes a wonderful meat and potato filling flavored with herbs and spices.  This recipe makes one large deep dish pie.  Here’s how I make it:

Start by cooking 2 large, or 3 small potatoes until just tender.  You can microwave then or boil them just until fork tender.  I use thin skinned potatoes, skin and all.  Allow potatoes to cool completely, and cut into a small dice.  Some recipes say to grate the potatoes but I prefer to see them and not have them mashed into the filling.

While potatoes cool, chop one medium onion and sauté in a large pan with tablespoon of olive oil until just tender over med. heat.  Once onions are tender, add 1 large clove of garlic minced, and cook until just fragrant and then add 2 pounds of ground chuck and 1 pound of ground pork and raise the heat to med/high and brown the meat while mixing everything together.  To the meat mixture add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/4 teaspoon, of ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of allspice, and 1 tablespoon of Bell’s Seasoning.

While meat browns, dice the potatoes.  Once meat is well browned drain off the fat and add the diced potatoes to the meat and stir well to combine.  Now, add 2 cups of gravy to the meat mixture.  I just happened to have left over gravy from Thanksgiving but if you don’t have homemade gravy you can use canned beef or pork gravy.  Gravy is not traditionally used; however, I like it because it keeps the filling from becoming dry, and adds more flavor.

At this point, check your seasonings to see if you need more salt & pepper, or more nutmeg before sealing the filling in the pie.  Allow to cool while you make the crust.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees while you prepare the crust.  You can use your own pie crust recipe or use store bought crust to save time.  I like Pillsbury pie crust the best.  You can also check out my homemade pie crust recipe by entering pie crust under the recipe search.

Use a deep dish pie pan and roll the bottom crust out larger than the pan so that you can tuck the top crust under the bottom crust and pinch it together.

One you have the seasonings perfected, fill the bottom crust all the way to the top of the pan and press it down to pack slightly.  Next, add the top crust which has been rolled out enough to tuck under the bottom crust.

Place the top crust over the pie and fold the top crust over the bottom crust and tuck and press the crusts together.

Once the crust is tucked under and pressed together, you can now crimp the edges with your fingers or use a fork.

Once the edges are crimped, brush the whole top of the pie with a beaten egg and cut some vent holes into the crust.

Place the pie on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 1 hour and carefully turning the pan halfway through for even browning.

Meat pie is traditionally served at room temperature.  The pie will slice best when cooled.  The pie also reheats well if there are leftovers.

Meat pie can be served alone or with a side of vegetables or salad.  Enjoy and happy cooking!

Prep Time:  1 hour                                             Cooking Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Easy                                                     Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Pie crust for a two crust deep dish pie

2  large or 3 small potatoes cooked just until tender but firm, diced

1  med onion chopped

1  large clove garlic minced

2  pounds ground chuck

2  pounds ground pork

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (preferably freshly ground)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon Bell’s Seasoning

2  cups beef or pork gravy