A recipe for a French Canadian Tourtière. Our family’s traditional holiday meat pie.

Read more: French Canadian Tourtière

Tourtière is a traditional French-Canadian meat pie that has deep roots in Canada’s culinary heritage. The dish is often considered a Christmas holiday specialty. The origins of tourtière can be traced back to the 17th century when French settlers first arrived in Canada.

In my husband’s family, Tourtières were purchased every year from the local branch of the Canadian Legion to enjoy on Christmas Eve. My grandmother also made tourtieres, and I have adapted her recipe (below) to share with you. Tourtières are part of our Christmas Eve dinner tradition. I often make them in advance and freeze them to enjoy on a busy Christmas Eve – keeping things easy in anticipation of our big Christmas feast the next day.

Origins of the Name Tourtière

The word “tourtière” is derived from the French word “tourte,” which refers to a type of round pastry. Another naming theory is that “tourte” is also a French word for a type of pigeon – and that pigeons were historically used to make the pies. I think that story is “for the birds” – and I’m inclined to think that tourtière is named:

“from Old French torte, tourte, round loaf of bread, from Late Latin torta.”

Merriam-Webster

Tourtière not Torture

Now – my father in law often joked that these pies were called “Tortures” – which is funny – but don’t worry they aren’t at all tortuous to eat!

What’s In a Tourtière?

The pie is traditionally made with a flaky pastry crust and filled with a mixture of ground meats, most commonly a combination of pork and veal or pork and beef. The meat is seasoned with a blend of spices, including cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, giving the dish its distinctive and savory flavor profile. Mashed or shredded potatoes are typically included to bind the meats together – creating a dense but soft meaty texture.

Tourtière Variations

My grandmother’s recipe used her flaky pie crust, and a beef and pork mixture – with shredded potatoes. She included finely diced onions, carrots and celery. A more traditional Quebec tourtière might leave out the vegetables – but my family always grew vegetables and we prefer to include them! The preparation and ingredients of tourtière vary among families and regions, and different areas in Canada may have their own variations and recipes passed down through generations – reflecting the availability of ingredients in different locales.

Pie Crust

Our favourite Tourtière recipe uses my grandmother’s pie crust recipe, which is included in a previous post. It is a basic light and flaky crust using vegetable lard. You can substitute butter if you like for a more buttery flavour! It’s also fine to use a purchased/prepared pie shell. This is a heavy or dense meat pie – so I don’t roll the pie crust out too thinly – it needs to support the weight of the pie!

Tourtiere Ingredients:

• 1 double pie crust
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion minced
• 1 medium carrot minced
• 1 celery stalk minced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• (Vegetables are to be finely minced – so that they soften well when cooked and blend with the texture of the cooked meat)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• (The spices are what is unique about the pie. They add a Christmas holiday essence!)
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• (Use approximately an even mix of meats. Veal or wild game may also be substituted)
• 1 cup shredded white potatoes
• (Shred the potatoes directly into the cooking meat mixture. If you are preparing potatoes in advance, store in cold water to prevent potatoes from darkening. If you prefer, you may substitute cooked diced potatoes or cooked mashed potatoes – into last few minutes of simmering of meat mixture)
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or other vinegar)

Preparing the Filling

• Saute vegetables until beginning to brown
• Add spices to vegetables
• Add meat to pan and cook – while constantly breaking up into small pieces – cook until lightly browned
• Add water and vinegar – simmer for 15 minutes
• Shred potatoes into mixture – continue to simmer for another 15 minutes until mixture thickens

Assembling and Baking the Tourtiere

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
• Lightly pierce prepared pie shell in pie plate
• Pour meat mixture into pie shell

• Cover with top pie crust and pinch edges

• Pierce top of crust to allow air to escape while baking

• (Optionally) Brush top of crust with egg white to help with browning
• Bake pie at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes
• Reduce temperature to 375 degrees F and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes until top of crust is lightly browned

Below is a printable recipe card from RecipesGenerator. Please give it a try!

Happy Baking and Merry Christmas everyone!!

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