Friday, March 21, 2014

French Pork Pie

Around here when we say French we mean Canadian, or more specifically Quebecois. Pork Pie or Tourtiere  is an old time classic. And as usual there are many variations on the theme. Some use apples in place of raisins. Some add oats and mashed potatoes. Brandy and nutmeg are usually the more outstanding flavors. This is the one I made on Monday.
I start by making the pie crust dough
  Two cups of flour, one table spoon of salt and a good slab of lard. About one inch cut off that hunk of Snow Cap lard. Mix the salt in the flour, then work the lard in to the flour with your fingers until it is just crumbles. The add about a cup of very cold water very slowly and mix. It will be all crumbly but just moist enough to hold it together. Wrap in Saran wrap and pop it in the fridge for about a half hour.
Peel and cube two small potatoes
and dice one medium white onion
Saute the onions in a good bit of olive oil for about 10 minutes or until soft and translucent, add salt and pepper to taste. And boil your potatoes for about 5 minutes.
After five minutes at a good boil drain your potatoes, set the sauted onions aside and
fry up one pound of lean ground pork til brown.
Add a healthy splash of brandy to your pork, probably about 3/4 cup and cook down. Yes I know that's cheap ass brandy. I don't drink it, I just use it for cooking.
Season your pork to taste with salt, pepper, and about a teaspoon each of Allspice, Nutmeg and Clove. Add about 3/4 cup of rasins and check for taste and adjust as needed.
Grease your pie tin with shortening and dust it with flour. Roll out your pie dough and line your pie pan.
Mix your potatoes and pork together and fill your pie and put the top on it.
Glaze with a bit of beaten egg and pop it in to a 375 deg F oven.
Don't forget to pierce the top cover to let the steam out.
45 minutes later behold your masterpiece.
Serve with kosher dill pickles and enjoy.




11 comments:

  1. there's nothing quite like a good piece of tourtiere!

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  2. Repito: ¡Quiero un pedacito!

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    1. This one is all gone, but the next one I'll save a piece and mail it to you in Argentina ;-) . . . .

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  3. Back in the 70s I visited Quebec for a cross-country ski vacation with a guy. I don't remember the guy and most of my French. But oh how I remember the tourtiere Madam served for breakfast at the B&B we stayed. Wonderful post. Could make one myself? Doubt it... c'est très dommage

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    1. Isn't it wonderful sometimes when all the rest has faded a way we can hold on to a single memory like that. I am sure my pork pie is nowhere near the ones they make back in Quebec, but it sure was tasty. That said with the steps I outline here it is not difficult to make a close approximation of the genuine thing.

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  4. You can't beat a good meat and potato pie!

    To us English, though, 'real' pork pies are made in Melton Mowbray and are eaten cold. I do like a bit of pork pie with cheese and pickles (ploughman's lunch) on occasion but I much prefer your kind!

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    1. I have never had the privilege of tasting a Mowbray Pie. It was precisely Cro's posting them that inspired me to make this one. I shall have to see if I can locate a source of those Mowbray Pies here.

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    2. It appears Melton Mowbray Pies are not available anywhere near by but it seems we can make our own...

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHHTPoTID50

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  5. That looks good! Although if I'd just had seen the pictures I would have sweared it was beef instead of pork! I grew up on many minced meat dishes - we used to have meat and potato layer pie quite often but hat had no pastry so I'm not sure it was really a pie!

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    1. Hey Kev, that sounds like what we call over here Shepherd's Pie. Layers of ground beef, corn and other bits according to the version, all topped with mashed potatoes baked in the oven. I've just been looking at making the Mowbray Pies. Though the process is quite a bit more involved. I may try making some of your Cornish pasties. seems a bit simpler. In south America we had the same idea as a pastie but the dough was a corn based dough like that of a Tamal or Polenta, and they were deep fried instead of baked.

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