A Tourtière, or French Meat Pie, sometimes referred to as a pork pie is a colloquial favorite in French families. Much like Thanksgiving stuffing, every family seems to have their own version of this classic comfort food dish. I add a few vegetables and a very light gravy to the filling and serve with gravy overtop. It’s similar to Shepherd’s Pie. This is our annual Christmas dinner.
CRUST
Two standard pie crusts (refrigerated pie crust is fine)
FILLING
1 lb ground beef (I prefer 80/20)
1 lb ground pork
1 cup diced potato
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 cup beef broth
3-4 tbsp corn starch
Egg wash (1 egg combined with 1/4 cup milk)
• Preheat the oven to 350º.
• Pierce a medium-sized russet potato with a knife. Microwave on high until just barely tender, about 10 minutes. Peel and dice.
• In a very large skillet over medium heat, add the beef, pork, potatoes, onions, carrot and celery. Sauté until the meat is browned and the vegetables begin to become tender.
• Add the seasoning and combine.
• In a cup, combine 1 cup beef broth and 3-4 tbsp corn starch. Make a well in the center of the skillet and pour mixture into the pan. Blend quickly as mixture will thicken rapidly to make a gravy. Thoroughly combine with meat mixture and remove from heat.
• Place one pie crust in the bottom of a pie pan and poke the bottom with a fork several times.
• Pour the meat and vegetable filling into the unbaked crust and smooth the top.
• Cover with the remaining pie crust. Flute the edges of the top and bottom crust together and then cut vents in the top crust with a sharp knife. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top crust with the egg wash.
• Bake at 350º for 45m – 1 hour or until crust is very golden.
I serve with beef gravy (optional) and a fresh green salad.
BEEF GRAVY
1/2 stick of butter
4 tbsp all purpose flour
32 oz Swanson’s Beef Broth
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
1/8 tsp lemon juice
1 dash Cayenne pepper
Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
• Make a roux by melting the butter over medium heat and adding the flour. Stir until the roux is a toasted brown and the raw flour aroma is gone.
• Pour the broth into the pan and stir vigorously with a whisk. The mixture will tighten up very quickly, but keep stirring and it will become velvety smooth.
• Add the seasoning and the lemon. Stir well and taste. Adjust seasoning to your preference.
• For a darker color add a few drops (a little goes a long way) of Kitchen Bouquet.
Jules Diner 