Tourtière Pie
I didn't have as much luck with this recipe as with my other Tourtière Pie recipe, but this is the traditional family recipe.
I didn't have as much luck with this recipe as with my other Tourtière Pie recipe, but this is the traditional family recipe.
- Carbohydrate 151.80693 g
- Cholesterol 621.4215469 mg
- Fat 200.542455203 g
- Fiber 7.39824990940094 g
- Protein 178.559841056 g
- Saturated Fat 76.2506473936 g
- Serving Size 1 1 pie (1215g)
- Sodium 1496.4911914 mg
- Sugar 144.408680090599 g
- Trans Fat 20.2451836955 g
- Calories 3172 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix meat and onion in large pot. Barely cover with water. Add cinnamon and cloves. Add salt.
- Heat on low to a simmer.
- Taste from time to time, adding more spices until all done.
- REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT
- Skim fat off the top.
- Reheat meat on low.
- Remove and reserve 2 c. of "juice."
- Add 1 c. flour to reserved juice. Mix until a thick paste.
- Return to pot and stir well (to the texture of medium oatmeal; until a spoon can stand up on its own without falling).
- Retaste and respice?one last time.
- Pour into raw pie crust and cover with vented crust.
- Place in a wet paper bag and seal shut.
- Bake for an hour at 350 ?.
Skipping the overnight refrigeration step ruins the texture of traditional meat pies by leaving excess rendered fat emulsified in the filling. Chilling the cooked pork and beef overnight at 38 degrees Fahrenheit allows the animal fats to solidify entirely at the surface so they can be scraped away efficiently before assembly. Ground meat mixtures containing heavy amounts of pork and beef require deliberate moisture management. Without removing this surplus fat, pastry crusts become soggy rather than flaky. Freshly grated onions release cellular water rapidly during initial simmering compared to dried onion flakes, altering the liquid volume in the pot. Grated onions also dissolve into the meat paste more thoroughly than diced counterparts, distributing sulfur compounds evenly throughout the filling.
Managing Moisture and Flour Slurries
Whisking one cup of flour directly into two cups of reserved warm meat juice creates lumps instantly due to uneven starch hydration. Combining the flour with a small amount of cooled liquid first prevents this clumping before the paste goes back into the pot. Cooking the mixture until a spoon stands upright without falling ensures the filling holds its structural integrity when sliced hot. Using a wet paper bag enclosing the pastry during the sixty-minute bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit shields the top crust from burning while allowing steam to vent gradually.Balancing Spices in Large Batches
Heavy quantities of ground cinnamon and cloves require incremental tasting sessions because volatile aromatics diminish during prolonged simmering. Adding spices gradually over the course of the low-heat simmer prevents the dominant warm notes from overwhelming the savory profile of the eight pounds of combined meats. Freshly ground spices yield a sharper, cleaner flavor profile than jars sitting in a pantry for over six months. Adjusting the seasoning one final time right before pouring the mixture into the raw pastry guarantees proper flavor balance after the overnight rest.
