Meat Pie (French Canadian Tourtiere)

This is by far one of the best-flavored meat pies made by any culture. It is a favorite of everyone who has ever eaten at our house during the Christmas holidays. It is a wonderful way to cook ahead for a party or family meal, and easily eaten from a lunchbox. This delicious meat pie can be served at room temperature or warmed-up and eaten hot depending on the time of day you're hungry. I've yet to find anyone who didn't love Tourtiere. It is a favorite Christmas treat but is good any day of the year. Just plain, hearty, simple food. Not all cooks add the mashed potato, but we like the potatoes. If you don't want them, don't add them.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed (set aside)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. lean ground pork
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• Prepared or homemade 9-10 inch double crust pie shells

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If making your own crusts, do it now and refrigerate them until meat and potato mixture is cooked and cooling.

In a skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, and saute meats with onion, salt, and pepper. You want a little caramelizing going on with the meat. When you get it the color you want, place it all into a saucepan along with garlic, water, thyme, sage, allspice, and cloves. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils; stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is thoroughly cooked; about 15 minutes. Most of the water should have evaporated. Add mashed potatoes and mix well.

Adjust seasonings if necessary.

If mixture seems a little too dry, add a little canned evaporated milk (about 1/4-1/3 cup). Cool mixture while you roll out the crusts.

Spoon the cooled meat-potato mixture into the pie crust. Place top crust on pie and pinch edges to seal.

Cut slits in top crust so steam can escape. Cover edges of crust with strips of aluminum foil.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, remove foil and return to oven. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

Allow pie to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Source: My friend Rose-Annette who also taught me to make French-Canadian Sugar Pie and Bisquit a' Memere (Gandmother's Cookies) almost 40 years ago. That lady was one of the most dedicated cooks I've ever met. Her homemade bread with homemade butter and sweet pickles was to die for.

By Julia from Boca Raton, FL