Tourtières (Canadian Pork Pie) - Low Carb & Gluten Free
This low carb and gluten free version of the traditional Tourtiere or Canadian Pork Pie tastes just as good as the real thing! Keto, Atkins and Paleo friendly!
This low carb and gluten free version of the traditional Tourtiere or Canadian Pork Pie tastes just as good as the real thing! Keto, Atkins and Paleo friendly!
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- â¼ tsp xanthan gum
- 1.5 tsp salt
- â¼ tsp salt
- â¼ cup butter
- â¼ cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 lbs raw ground pork
- 1/3 cup raw onion pureed in a blender or magic bullet
- 3/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tbsp ground sage
- 2 cups cooked cauliflower
- Carbohydrate 6.09108744022819 g
- Cholesterol 7.62578125327025 mg
- Fat 14.6468490998593 g
- Fiber 3.40088432139988 g
- Protein 5.35201276449262 g
- Saturated Fat 2.75223324360723 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (171g)
- Sodium 23.8499675573976 mg
- Sugar 2.6902031188283 g
- Trans Fat 0.88115445803019 g
- Calories 166 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the dry ingredients together and mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl, mash the butter and cheese together with a fork until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and use a fork or pastry cutter to mash it together until fully incorporated into little pea sized lumps. Add the egg and stir until a dough forms. Divide the crust into 2 balls of equal shape and chill for ten minutes before rolling out for your pie.
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan add the meat, salt, onion puree and water. The water helps the meat stay soft and not cook in large, tough chunks. Cook it over medium heat for about 15 minutes (or until fully cooked and most of the water has evaporated) and stir it to make sure it doesn't brown and that there are no large chunks of meat.
- Puree the cooked cauliflower in a blender or magic bullet - you should have about 1 cup of puree.
- Combine the meat, cauliflower puree, butter and spices and mix thoroughly. Taste the mixture and adjust salt and pepper accordingly.
- Your filling is now ready to use so get to rolling out your crust, filling the pie with the mixture, covering and crimping it all the way around. Then cut some vents in the top for the steam to rise out.
- When we bake these out of the freezer it takes about an hour at 350 degrees. If you are baking them unfrozen, probably about 40 minutes. Since the filling is fully cooked, it's really about getting the crust a nice golden brown so use your discretion.
- Serve warm with green olives.
Warm spices mingle with savory ground pork encased in a crisp, golden crust that shatters under the fork. Traditional pastry relies heavily on gluten networks for elasticity, but almond flour lacks this structural protein entirely. Xanthan gum bridges this gap by mimicking gluten's binding properties, allowing the dough to roll out without crumbling.
Managing Dough and Equipment Mechanics
Working with alternative flours requires precise thermal control. Chill the dough balls for exactly ten minutes before rolling; this solidifies the fat content and prevents the pastry from sticking to the pin. A heavy-bottomed saucepan is mandatory for simmering the pork. Thin pans create hot spots that cause the meat to brown unevenly rather than rendering evenly in its water base. Use a standard rolling pin dusted lightly with extra almond flour, or press the dough directly into the pie plate by hand if the mixture proves too fragile to transfer.
Adjusting Yields and Baking Parameters
Scaling this formulation up or down requires careful attention to the binder ratios, as altering xanthan gum linearly can result in a gummy texture. When baking from a frozen state, allot a full 60 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Unfrozen pies finish baking in approximately 40 minutes, depending on individual oven calibration.
