Tourtiere: Canadian Meat Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my tourtière fall apart? ›

As the breadcrumbs and the broth help add moisture to this recipe, added fat is an unwanted quantity that tends to make the tourtiere fall apart when cutting and also is just not very pleasant. Many of the same qualities that make a great meatloaf are also applied to this meat pie.

Meat pie is primarily made of ground meat (pork, beef or veal) and aromatics (onion, garlic, spices, etc.). In Saguenay–Lac‑Saint‑Jean and Charlevoix, however, “real” tourtière is a lot heartier than meat pie and contains other meats (such as game) and potatoes that have been simmered in stock.

It gets its name from the tourte, which is what it was originally made from. Though the name "tourtière" is derived from its filling, the tourte—the French name for the passenger pigeon that is now extinct in North America—was historically used as its filling before the 20th century.

tourtière, a double-crusted meat pie that is likely named for a shallow pie dish still used for cooking and serving tourtes (pies) in France. The ground or chopped filling usually includes pork and is sometimes mixed with other meats, including local game, such as rabbit, pheasant, or moose.

Prick the crust all over with a fork, like you would shortbread; or cut some slashes or crosses. Make a lattice, if you like. But whatever you do, don't bake your fruit pie with a solid, sealed-down top crust: you're just asking for the that "gap in pie" result.

You may be over baking the custard. Pumpkin pie, and other custard type pies, need to be baked until they are done around the outside, but still slightly wobbly in the center. If you cook it at too high a temperature, or bake it for too long, it will curdle or shrink.

Traditionally, Tourtière is served with roasted vegetables or a light frisseé salad. An assortment of pickled foods is always delicious; pickled beets, spicy carrots, gherkins or pickled onions. Many enjoy a tomato-based chutney but most… just break out the ketchup.

Historical records of Quebec tourtière, which was likely named for the copper and tin pans the pies are baked in, date back to the 17th century. But hearty pies of the sort have been around for as long as humans have thought to combine pastry with meat.

Blind Bake the Crust

One of the fool-proof ways to ensure a crisp bottom pie crust is to do what is called blind baking. This simply means that you bake the crust—either fully if you are adding a custard or cream that won't be cooked, or partially if the whole pie needs to bake—before adding the filling.

Tourtière was always on the table, and in 17-century Québec, the pie was traditionally served in a cast-iron cauldron and stuffed with cubed meats, often wild game (rabbit, pheasant, or moose). Four centuries later, the pie remains a staple dish both at réveillon and in Québécois households.

What is the famous Québecois food item called tourtière? ›

In Canada, it's called tourtiere. Made with potatoes, pork, beef and spices, and wrapped in a light and flaky crust. It's fully cooked and ready to simply warm and serve for a delicious gourmet meal in minutes. Each Meat Pie weighs, 35 oz.

A common story is that it got its name from the dish used to bake the pie. Tourte means pie, and they were baked in a tourtière. Simple. The other story is that this pie got its name from the type of birds that were commonly used to make the pie.

Tourtière is a hearty and satisfying French Canadian meat pie that's easy to make, so it's a great choice for a holiday main course. Visually impressive, relatively affordable, and best served at room temperature, tourtière doesn't require any precise timing.

"Tourtière is very much a Québécois dish. And it came from rural French coming to Canada," she said. "A lot of the urban French actually went to Acadia instead. And their cuisine is quite different — although they too have various pies that are a little similar.

Though the dish has been around since at least the 17th century, the first appearance of tourtière in a cookbook is in La cuisinière Canadienne which was written and published by Louis Perrault in Montreal in 1840 — it is accepted as the first French language cookbook published in Canada.

Start from the center. When slicing your pie, start from the center and work your way outwards. This will help distribute any pressure more evenly and reduce the chances of the crust breaking or crumbling. Take your time, and make sure each slice is as clean and neat as possible.

Once you've measured the flour and added the liquid — typically ice water (per Martha Stewart) — EatingWell recommends pinching the dough to test its moisture content: if it's moist enough, it should stick together easily; if you haven't added enough water, it will be crumbly.

Answer: A spokesperson for Libby's canned pumpkin says that the filling's shrinking away from the crust can be caused by the oven temperature being a little too high or the baking time a little too long. For best results, be certain the pie is baked at the recommended temperature in the center of the oven.