French Canadian meat pie "Tourtiere"

[JeffAVEWS]

I married Irish, but my wife's grandmother's parents were from Quebec. When I married my wife 40+ years ago I was introduced to the custom of having a Christmas meat pie on Christmas morning. My Mother-in-Law would make 60 of them around Thanksgiving and freeze them. I made some this year and are they delicious! Any other Villagers enjoy this custom?

[BaylorBear]

Not us, but it sounds like an excellent tradition! ....and yummy too!

[Suzi]

In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a traditional meat pie is a "pastie" and, years ago the wives of the copper and iron workers and lumberjacks would make them for the men to take to work for lunch. These are hearty meals: pie dough with chopped steak, potatoes, rutabagas and carrots folded in half and then baked: eaten like a sandwich. I make them also and sometimes buy them from local bakers. They are great for growing boys and men with big appetites.

[LittleDog]

In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a traditional meat pie is a "pastie" and, years ago the wives of the copper and iron workers and lumberjacks would make them for the men to take to work for lunch. These are hearty meals: pie dough with chopped steak, potatoes, rutabagas and carrots folded in half and then baked: eaten like a sandwich. I make them also and sometimes buy them from local bakers. They are great for growing boys and men with big appetites.

We've ordered pasties online and really enjoy them for an easy to prepare meal. The Cornish women used to make them for their miner husbands. They stayed warm until lunchtime. My wife is into Cornish "stuff".

John

[Cantwaittoarrive]

I guess we don't at least not technically, we did however make homemade turkey pot pies from our leftovers. My wife's family is Irish and they have made homemade turkey pot pies with leftovers going back at least 3 generations

[rubicon]

I am going to ask my wife to make me a meat pie so I can eat it while playing golf

[eweissenbach]

I am going to ask my wife to make me a meat pie so I can eat it while playing golf

You're liable to get a meat pie right up the side of the head! :boxing2:

[Cateca]

Yes. I am part of a French Canadian family that celebrated Christmas with toutiere pies. The modern version is much like a meat pie with some potatos. However, tourtiere comes from word tourte, a small bird, now exatinguished, that was hunted so as ro have the "meat" for the tourtiere pies.
From a Former Maniac. Bonne et Heureuse Annee!

[Dirigo]

Yes. I am part of a French Canadian family that celebrated Christmas with toutiere pies. The modern version is much like a meat pie with some potatos. However, tourtiere comes from word tourte, a small bird, now exatinguished, that was hunted so as ro have the "meat" for the tourtiere pies.
From a Former Maniac. Bonne et Heureuse Annee!

As I lived in Central Maine for 35 years and know many Franco-Americans, I have eaten many a toutiere pie, and have made quite a few with recipes given to me.

I haven't made a toutiere pie for several years now, but my mouth is watering just remembering how good they are.

[rockyisle]

Will anyone share their recipe here? I'd love to make one. My Mom made Gorton for us when we were kids. She only made it in the winter months - great on toast...

[chuckinca]

Sounds like a Burrito to me.

.

[crgski]

I married Irish, but my wife's grandmother's parents were from Quebec. When I married my wife 40+ years ago I was introduced to the custom of having a Christmas meat pie on Christmas morning. My Mother-in-Law would make 60 of them around Thanksgiving and freeze them. I made some this year and are they delicious! Any other Villagers enjoy this custom?

Hi, my family originates from canada and meat pies were always on the table from thanksgiving thru christmas. Love them.

[Pa & Giggi]

Meat pies were always on the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas in our family as my mother came from Canada and moved to the states after she married my dad. To this day they still are part of our family tradition and my kids look forward to my meat pies. I left one in my son's freezer when I left NH last month. I made mine with 5 lbs of pork from the butcher, one large onion and let that cook in a metal pan so it can have bits stick to the bottom. When 3/4 cooked, add 2 potatoes (cubed), salt and pepper 1 tbsp all spice (or more if you like) and 1 tbsp or more of turkey seasoning (the yellow box with the turkey)

Cook the meat down until it sticks to the bottom a bit and don't cover your pan during this process. Taste during seasoning and add more if needed which you might. When it sticks to bottom, scape with spoon to get those tasty bits and stir those bits into your meat. Your potatoes should be cooked and you shouldn't have any grease.

You will have enough meat to fill two deep dish pies. My pie plates are very deep, if you are making smaller pies, use less meat. Good luck and happy eating!

[entemedor]

Love tourtiere ... we use the same meat filling for turkey stuffing. And after the turkey is gone, we make pea soup out of the turkey carcass. And, of course, pea soup out of a ham bone too.

A bientot ...

[rubicon]

I found a receipe that includes a combination of three meats celery, carrots onions and potatoes. Marinade is a combination of salt pepper allspice cinnamon, red wine thyme sautee the incredients then place in pie dough and bake. to the experts out there is that close? Any secret family deviations tha make it better?

[another Linda]

My MIL's recipe was the one I inherited. It calls for ground pork, seasoning with cloves, enough potatoes to soak up all the fat and the crust ***must, must*** be made with lard. When my MIL died, I took over the task of making and freezing multiple pies until my husbands arteries cried "enough already!" My kids miss them.

[Russ_Boston]

I have eaten French meat pies for years up north and still love them. My sister makes a great one and I should get the recipe now that my mouth is watering:)

[california dreamer]

I'm French Canadian, born in Ottawa. Fond memories of meat pies at Christmas time in California, my mother would bake. People in California and my mid-western hubby think that meat pies are WEIRD! Thankfully, my brother in Idaho carries the tradition. These recipes on the forum sound great, so now that I'm retired, I'll give them a shot.

[JeffAVEWS]

Mine were simple:
2lbs Lean ground beef
2lbs ground pork
2 onions ( finely chopped)
salt, pepper, poultry seasoning (to taste)
pre-made pie crusts (I got 3 pies from this, so 3 boxes)
9 inch pie tins (3)
Cook meat, onion and spices together for at least 2 hours, pour into a metal cullender to drain. Refrigerate overnight. Place bottom crust in tin, fill with meat, add top crust and pierce with fork so bottom will cook. Freeze. When it's time to bake (400 for about 50 min just brown crust) cover edges with foil. We always have Worcestershire as a condiment.
There are many recipe's for these pie, I'm sure the backs woods Habs used wild game and fish, what ever they had. I've seen them seasoned with cinnamon, sage, nutmeg...whatever. As my mother-in-law was making 60+ they didn't get too fancy, and as a result it's just the way we like them!
If you make this let me know how you liked it.
Jeff

[eastlupus]

Being from Canada, I make these every year. We have them on Christmas Eve. Do you eat Mincemeat tarts or pies also?



QUOTE=JeffAVEWS;600157]I married Irish, but my wife's grandmother's parents were from Quebec. When I married my wife 40+ years ago I was introduced to the custom of having a Christmas meat pie on Christmas morning. My Mother-in-Law would make 60 of them around Thanksgiving and freeze them. I made some this year and are they delicious! Any other Villagers enjoy this custom?[/QUOTE]

[eastlupus]

Tortiere

1 lb of ground pork
1/2 lb of ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 pinch marjoram
1 large potato, mashed


Cook meat first, then add in spices & mashed potato

Put into pie shell and cook for the length of time your pastry needs.

(It is really good to put brown gravey on it)

Enjoy














Will anyone share their recipe here? I'd love to make one. My Mom made Gorton for us when we were kids. She only made it in the winter months - great on toast...