Meat Pie (French-Canadian Pâté à la Viande, Tourtière)

This appellation is mainly present in the urban regions of Québec. There are a large number of variations for this pâté de croute. Some prefer it cooked with only pork while others prefer it with pork and veal or pork, veal and beef. The one I offer you is an adaptation of the Dontigny family recipe. We like it with a little potato to bind the meat together while some families prefer it without potatoes.

Filling:
1 lb ground pork (500 g)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup water, boiling (250 mL)
¼ tsp. dry mustard (1 mL)
¼ tsp. ground clove (1 mL)
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon (1 mL)
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground (1 mL)
¾ tsp. sea salt (3 mL)
1 potato, peeled and halved

Pastry:
1 recipe Double Pie Crust
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp. water, for glaze

Serving Suggestions:
Marinated beets
homemade red ketchup
lettuce salad with balsamic vinegar dressing

Make the Pastry:
Make the pie dough, divide in half. Wrap each disc in plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Make the Filling:
In a medium saucepan, add pork, onion, garlic if using, mustard, clove, cinnamon, pepper and salt. Gradually add boiling water, stirring with a wooden spoon. Insert the potato into the preparation, bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring 3 times, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until very the potato is very tender.

Remove the potato, mash and stir into the meat. Warm the preparation.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6). Place the rack in the bottom of the oven.

Roll-Out the Pastry:
Roll out half the dough and place it in a 9" pie plate; rollout the second disc and set aside.

Assembly:
Place the filling in the prepared pie plate and cover with the second crust. Using a small knife, remove the excess pastry that protrudes from the plate and make two 5 cm (2") incisions in the center of the pie to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg yolk.

Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, lower the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and cook 20-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• The meat preparation can be cooked up to 3 days in advance.
• The cooked pie can be kept for 5 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen in a deep freezer for 6 months.
• If you double the recipe, use 375 mL (1½ cups) of boiling water and not 500 mL (2 cups).