Tourtiere (French Canadian Meat Pie)

Yield 5 pies, which can be frozen and consumed later.

Meat Mixture:

1. Gather ingredients noted in ingredients section for Meat Mixture
2. In a large pot, mix the pork, beef, and water. Season with salt, cinnamon, cloves & pepper. Add mashed potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours stirring frequently. Transfer meat mixture and place in 2 large bowls in the refrigerator and chill 2 hours, or until fat has congealed on the surface.

Pie Crust:

Note: You will need to make this pie crust recipe 5 times for the above Tourtiere meat mixture.

1. Gather ingredients noted in the ingredients section for Crust
2. Whisk flour and salt in a medium stainless steel chilled mixing bowl. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice cold water and mix with a fork until dough holds together.
3. Divide dough in half. Work dough into 2 disks. Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 20 minutes.
4. Dust your work surface with flour. Pat the dough into an evenly thick round, then use a rolling pin and beginning at the center roll outward, turn the dough a quarter turn, roll out again and repeat. Roll evenly until the dough is about 11” in diameter.
5. Roll the dough up onto the rolling pin and lay gently into a 9” pie pan. Press gently into the bottom and sides of the pan, allow about a 1” overhang.

Combine mixture and pie crust:

1. Spoon meat mixture in pie crust. Place top crust on top of each pie and using knife cut excess dough from the edge of pie crust.
2. Pinch edges to seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top crust so steam can escape.
3. Bake in preheated 400 degrees oven until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Serve immediately.

Freezing Tourtiere

1. Cover each Tourtiere in aluminum foil and freeze.

Baking Frozen Tourtiere

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cut and remove aluminum foil from center of Tourtiere leaving aluminum foil only on edges of the crust.
3. Brush top of pie only with a lightly beaten egg. (Do not brush top edges of crust).
4. Bake for 1 hour and then taste test. Insert fork in center of Tourtiere and taste if hot enough. If not hot enough then leave in for another 10 minutes or so.