Tourtière
A double-crust Quebec meat pie of spiced pork and beef, thickened with grated potato. The Christmas Eve pie, in a long afternoon.
Method
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Whisk the flour and salt, rub in the butter until pea-sized pieces remain and stir in the water until the dough holds. Divide into one larger and one smaller disc, wrap and chill 1 hour.
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Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion 6 minutes, then the garlic for 1 minute.
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Add the pork and beef and cook 10 minutes, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains.
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Stir in the potato, stock, savory, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt and pepper and simmer uncovered 25 minutes, until thick and almost dry.
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Spread the filling on a tray and cool completely, about 1 hour.
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Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F with a baking tray on the lowest shelf.
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Roll the larger disc and line a 23 cm deep pie dish. Fill with the cold filling.
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Roll the smaller disc, cover the pie, trim, crimp the edge, cut a steam vent in the top and brush with the egg wash.
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Bake on the hot tray 15 minutes, then lower to 180°C / 350°F and bake 35 to 40 minutes more, until deep golden.
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Rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Chef’s Tips
- Cook the filling almost dry. Wet filling steams the bottom crust.
- Cool the filling completely before it goes into the pastry.
- Grated potato is the binder. Do not leave it out.
Common Substitutions & Variations
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
Pairing Suggestions
- Ketchup or chutney
- Green beans
- A dark beer or red wine
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate up to 4 days and reheat at 170°C for 20 minutes. Freeze baked or unbaked for 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 25 minutes.
Common questions
How long does Tourtière take to make?
About 2 hours 25 minutes of hands-on work — 45 minutes of preparation and 1 hour 40 minutes of cooking — plus 2 hours of chilling the dough and cooling the filling, so allow 4 hours 25 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 8.
What are the key tips for making Tourtière?
Cook the filling almost dry. Wet filling steams the bottom crust. Cool the filling completely before it goes into the pastry. Grated potato is the binder. Do not leave it out.
What should I serve with Tourtière?
Ketchup or chutney; Green beans; A dark beer or red wine.
Can Tourtière be made ahead or frozen?
Refrigerate up to 4 days and reheat at 170°C for 20 minutes. Freeze baked or unbaked for 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 25 minutes.
Is Tourtière suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Tourtière?
About 529 kcal per serving, with 24 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate and 33 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutritional Highlights
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.