Published December 15, 2023

Pork Pies (Tourtières)

Name: Pork Pies (Tourtières)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 8-10
Cuisine: French-Canadian
Ingredients: 2-½ cups flour; 2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces; ½ tsp salt; ¼ cup cold water + extra if needed; 1 egg + 1 tbsp heavy cream (for egg wash to brush on top before baking); 2 tbsp olive oil, butter or pork lard; 2 lbs Heartstone Farm’s ground pork (or you can do 1 lb pork, 1 lb beef); 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped; 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped; 1 celery stalk, peeled and finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped; 1 large potato, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 tbsp of heavy cream; 1 tsp cinnamon; ½ tsp ground cloves; ½ tsp allspice; 1 tbsp dried thyme; salt &amp; pepper to taste

By Lynne Viera

Here in Maine, Pork Pies are a Christmas holiday tradition. As early as Thanksgiving, families start planning - how many pork pies will they need for Christmas, whose recipe they’ll be following, and who’ll be baking them. Pastry shops and bakeries start encouraging customers to place their orders in early December. Where did this delicious tradition begin? Up North.

The pork pie (aka Tourtière) is French-Canadian and can be traced back to the early 1600s. It was traditionally enjoyed after midnight mass on Christmas. In the late 19th century, many French-Canadians from Quebec moved to Maine to work in the mills and they brought this wonderful pie recipe with them.

While pork is traditional as the main ingredient, beef and sometimes game meats are mixed in, depending on what’s on hand and favorite family flavors. The addition of warm spices like cloves, cinnamon and allspice creates depth of flavor and an incredible aroma that will be wafting through your home and drawing everyone to the kitchen.

It’s traditional to make large pies but we find these smaller ones a bit easier to handle and more versatile (eat some over the holidays, have some waiting in the freezer for the first blizzard or if friends drop by unexpectedly). Wait until you try them. Heartstone’s pasture-raised ground pork and all those warm holiday spices baked in a buttery, flaky crust will warm you right up! Enjoy.

SEE MORE PORK RECIPES

Pork Pies (Tourtières)

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Cuisine

French-Canadian

Servings

8-10

Prep Time

1 hour

Cook Time

45 minutes

This recipe makes 8 small pies (5") or 1 large pie (9" or 10")

Author:

Lynne Viera

Ingredients

Pie dough (double this recipe unless you're making 1 large pie):

2-½ cups flour
2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces
½ tsp salt
¼ cup cold water + extra if needed
1 egg + 1 tbsp heavy cream (for egg wash to brush on top before baking)

Filling

2 tbsp olive oil, butter or pork lard
2 lbs Heartstone Farm’s ground pork (or you can do 1 lb pork, 1 lb beef)
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 large potato, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp of heavy cream
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp allspice
1 tbsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

MAKE PIE DOUGH:

Add flour, butter and salt to a food processor
Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal
Slowly add cold water until the dough holds together when you grab a handful and press it
Pour it onto a large piece of plastic wrap and push in any flour crumbs
Split the dough into 4 discs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours

MAKE PIE FILLING:

Prep Potato:

Boil water in a saucepan and add your chopped potato
Cook approximately 15 minutes or until you can easily insert a knife into the pieces
Strain, add a tablespoon of heavy cream and mash together
Set aside

Prep pork:

Place your ground pork in a large bowl and fold in all your spices, including salt & pepper (this will ensure your spices are evenly distributed in the meat)
Set aside
Cook pork filling:

Cook pork filling:

Place a large cast iron pan or skillet on the stove over medium heat
When pan is hot, add your fat of choice to the pan
Sauté the onions until they are translucent
Add carrots and celery and cook for 2 minutes
Add garlic and cook for another minute
Add in your pork and cook until meat is cooked through - about 5 minutes
Take a small piece of the filling, fry it up in a separate pan to check the seasonings. If needed, add additional salt & pepper
Turn the heat off and fold in your mashed potatoes

ROLL OUT DOUGH AND ASSEMBLE PIES:

Take one of your discs and cut in half with slightly more dough for the top of your pie
Roll out the bottom half and lay in the pan
Add your filling (should be higher than the pan as it will cook down)
Roll out the second half of your dough and place over your filling
Cut the rough edges off the dough and crimp your edges
Repeat process for the rest of your pies (recipe should make a minimum of 8 small pies)
Refrigerate your pies as you assemble them until you’re ready to bake

BAKE PIES:

Preheat your oven to 375°
Beat your egg and cream together
Put a couple vents in the top of your pies with a knife to release steam while they’re baking
Brush each of your pies with with the egg & cream mixture
Bake pies uncovered for ½ hour (but if the crust is getting too dark, cover with tin foil)
Turn oven down to 350°, tent the pies with tin foil (or put foil over the outer crust) and bake the pies for 15 more minutes
Place your pies on a rack and let cool a bit before serving
Serve with a light salad, pickles, cranberry sauce or simply enjoy solo

Recipe Note

Tip:

You can freeze your pies uncooked. When you’re ready to cook them, don’t let them thaw. Add your egg wash, and bake them with the same instructions as above (they may take slightly longer than baked from the refrigerator - just keep an eye on them).

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