Tortiere
Tortiere is a very traditional dish around this area, and particularily in Quebec. There are several different variations of tortiere. The most common, I believe, is a mixture of ground pork, with onion, celery and seasonings, but some tortieres use a mixture of beef and pork or chunks of meat rather than ground meat.
This is my favorite version of the recipe. Mario's family is French Canadian, and his Mom makes tortiere often. I like mine better and finally, after years of nagging and threatening, I actually got Mario to admit that he likes mine better too, but shhhh.... don't tell his Mom!
This is a major favorite with the kids too. But really what's not to like about ground pork and pastry? I always serve my tortiere with some steamed vegetables and pickled beets.
Tortiere
Double 9" Pie Crust:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
5-6 tbsp cold water
Meat Filling:
1 1/2 lbs ground pork
1 onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup celery, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground summer savory
1/3 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup water
1 small potato, boiled and mashed
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk
1. Prepare pastry: Cut cold shortening into cubes (TIP: In my pastry I always use a mixture of butter - for flavour, and shortening - for flakiness). Place butter/shortening in food processor with flour and salt. Pulse a few times.
2. Dump flour mixture out into a bowl and start adding water a tbsp at a time until mixture forms a dough that will hold together. Wrap with plastic wrap and refridgerate for about 30 minutes.
3. Make filling: In a non-stick skillet with a cover, cook pork, breaking up the larger chunks.
4. Add onion, celery, garlic and cook until the onions are tender.
5. Add salt, savory, pepper, allspice, bay leaf and water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lid and simmer 5 more minutes until most of the water is gone (it should still be quite moist).
6. Add mashed potato and remove bay leaf.
7. Roll out pastry (TIP: I roll my pastry out between two sheets of plastic wrap, when it is the right size, peel one sheet away and use the other to pick up the pastry and flip it over into the pie plate). Fill with meat mixture, cover with second half of pastry and seal edges. Cut a few vents in the top.
8. Brush top with a mixture of egg yolk and milk.
9. Bake at 425F for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
11 comments:
I think this would make my husband interested in pies!
Around my part of the U.S. we'd just call that a meat pie. the spices would be a bit different, and there would be a lot more potato.
I'm going to have to try this, and soon. but the U.S. being what it is, and this being Texas, I'll probably be using beef ;)
Janet, your tortiere is absolutely picture perfect before and after baking. It sure looks delicious. You could make this for us sometime as well.
A wonderful Quebecois plat that I've had the fortune of having tried homemade. Looks yum!
Your tortiere looks delicious. My mom always made tortiere every Christmas. She never used potato in hers. My sister and I do, but we prefer to use instant mashed potato flakes. That way you don't have any chunks of potatoes in it. I suppose it's a matter of whatever you are used to! Some people use breadcrumbs. My ex sister in law used hand chopped pork butt for hers, which was lovely but was the Acadian way of doing it. I think there are as many versions of Tortiere as there are families! Yours does look lovely though!
Your tortiere looks delicious!
It looks fabolous. I've never heard ot Tortiere, but I wouldn't mind to eat one now that I've seen one here.
Pork and pastry; as you say what's not to like?
I always feel a little sad when I see a tourtiere because they are named for the tourtes (passenger pigeons) which were once the main ingredient but are now extinct. But that sure doesn't stop me from enjoying them. And Jerry; it might be good with beef but it really wouldn't be tourtiere.
This looks really good. I really need to get around to picking up a pie plate!
I used to make Tortiere on Christmas Eve for a few years. Then my daughter informed me that it was traditional to have our usual cheese and chocolate fondues for Christmas Eve. Tortiere is now delegated to a Tree Trimkming Party!!
My mom and my mom's mom, Memere, always made Tortier at Christmas time. The recipe is just as yours is except they added sage, cinnamon and ground cloves to the pie. We never could get enough of these as kids and now my husband has been introduced to them and he can't get enough either. Your pies look so beautiful!
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