Tourtière (Canadian Pork Pie)

Serves 6

Tourtière is a Canadian meat pie made with pork, veal or beef. I saw several recipes for tourtière on the Internet and remembered I had one that I made years ago. It was so delicious and quite different in method and flavors. So, I went into my recipe box and found it. I made it again to make sure it was as good as I remembered, and it is. The original recipe was not mine but, as always, I made some changes to suit my tastes and rewrote the recipe accordingly. Unfortunately, I have now found my version on the Internet, written word for word except for the pie dough link, without acknowledgement. Assuming the guilty party actually tried the recipe, it is proof of its success. In any case, I have revised the recipe again for additional clarification. You can use your favorite double pie crust recipe or two store-bought refrigerated crusts.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds ground pork, preferably 90% lean
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 large white potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and quartered
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Pastry for a double crust 9-inch pie (see the similar and related recipes)
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

In a medium saucepan, combine pork, onion and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over very low heat for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes; drain well. Add the potatoes to the cooked meat mixture along with the salt, pepper, allspice, and cloves; mash with a potato masher. Taste for seasoning.

Preheat oven to 450° F. Roll half of the pastry and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Fill with the meat and potato mixture. Roll the remaining pastry and place on top, crimping the top and bottom edges together. With a small sharp knife, cut several vents in the top for to allow steam to escape. Brush with the beaten egg yolk. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Place on a cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. This can be served hot, but it is best warm or room temperature, making it an excellent choice for a buffet or potluck event.