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Tourtière (A Christmas Meat Pie)

Photo Credit
martiapunts/shutterstock
Written By: Jane Doerfer
Yield
1 meat pie, acout 10 servings
Category
Pies and Pastries
Course
Main Dish
Preparation Method
Bake
Sources
Yankee Magazine's Best New England Recipes

Tourtière is a popular meat-filled pie enjoyed at Christmas. A French-Canadian staple, this double-crusted savory pie has many family-style variations; our recipe is made with ground pork, warm spices, mashed potatoes, and a rich pastry crust that melts in your mouth. Try something different!

Note: Wild game can also be used to enhance the taste of this flavorful pie. One popular variation is 50% venison and 50% pork. (If you really want to go all out, grind your own pork butt!)

Pork pie tastes great with sides such as cranberry sauce, cornichons, pickled beets, sharp cheese, crusty bread, light salad, and pea soup. 

Eat tourtière piping hot from the oven or cold from the refrigerator the next day.

Ingredients
2 pounds ground pork
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves (or more to taste)
1-1/2 cups mashed potatoes
Penny's Piecrust (see below for recipe)
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

  1. In a pan over medium-low heat, combine pork, onions, salt, and 2 cups of water.
  2. Simmer gently, stirring often, until all liquid evaporates, about 4 hours.
  3. Preheat oven 400ºF.
  4. Stir in cinnamon and cloves. Add potatoes and beat well to combine thoroughly.
  5. Line a pie tin with 1 crust.
  6. Spoon in pork/potato mixture.
  7. Add top crust and flute edges. Brush top with milk and prick with a fork.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes.

Penny's Piecrust

Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1-3/4 cups shortening
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup ice water

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut shortening in, until pieces are about the size of a pea. Add egg, vinegar, and ice water. Work into a cohesive dough ball.
  2. Divide in half. Cut one dough mass in half. On a work surface dusted with flour, roll out 2 crusts. (If you’re making only one pie, freeze the second dough mass.)

Yield: 4 piecrusts

About The Author
Jane Doerfer

Jane Doerfer

Jane Doerfer (1941–2019) was the director of Going Solo in the Kitchen, a cooking school for solo cooks in Apalachicola, Florida. She wrote, collaborated on, or produced four other books: The Pantry G...
Read More from Jane Doerfer

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Comments

<span>Debra</span> Tue, 12/23/2025 - 10:46
My English mother made meat pies with ground beef. She also made mincemeat pies. Her pie pastry was the best.
<span>Bonnie</span> Wed, 11/30/2022 - 14:51
My family mixes beef and pork. 50/50 mix. So good with brown gravy and mashed potatoes.
<span>Pj Leclair</span> Sat, 12/21/2019 - 14:53
This is almost the same exact recipe that my mother-in-law gave me over 30 years ago.... she was from Montreal & it was a recipe from her Mother. They ate it with a relish made from vegetables, & apples... kind of like an end of summer relish.
<span>Bob</span> Wed, 12/18/2019 - 11:47
Can I use almond flour instead of all purpose flour?
<span>Pam</span> Mon, 12/16/2019 - 10:48
Stephen Burkett, you can use butter, lard, or solid coconut oil instead of the shortening.
<span>Stephen Burkett</span> Mon, 12/16/2019 - 09:47
Can i substitute something for the shortening
<span>Nancy C.</span> Sun, 12/11/2022 - 10:01
I normally make my pie crust with 2 cups of flour to 1 1/2 sticks of very cold butter cubed. You could double that butter ratio for this recipe given it calls for 4 cups of flour. So three sticks.