French Canadian Meat Pie

Tourtière is one of Quebec’s most beloved dishes, a warmly spiced meat pie traditionally served at Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Ground pork is the classic base, though the recipe also suggests the traditional Quebec blend of equal parts pork, veal, and beef for a more complex flavor.

The distinguishing spices here are what set tourtière apart from any other meat pie: savory (or sage), ground cloves, and celery salt. Those cloves in particular give the filling that characteristic warm, slightly floral note that makes tourtière instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up eating it.

Breadcrumbs do double duty in this recipe. After the meat simmers for 20 minutes, the breadcrumbs are stirred in to absorb excess fat from the pork. This is a technique specific to tourtière and it keeps the filling firm rather than greasy inside the pastry shell. The amount of breadcrumbs needed depends on how much fat rendered out, so you add them by the spoonful until the mixture holds together.

The pie freezes beautifully for 4 to 5 months, which makes it ideal for holiday batch cooking.

Pro Tips

• Cool the meat mixture completely before filling the pastry. Hot filling makes the bottom crust soggy before it has a chance to bake.
• Cut the steam vents generously. The filling is dense and releases steam that needs to escape or the top crust will balloon and crack.
• Serve with ketchup, chili sauce, or a simple green salad. Tourtière is traditionally served alongside pickled beets in Quebec.
• If using the mixed-meat version, brown the beef and veal separately from the pork since they have different fat content.

Variations

• Potato tourtière: Some Quebec families add a cup of mashed potato to the filling to stretch the meat and add body.
• Wild game version: Substitute ground venison or a venison-pork blend for a more rustic, gamey filling.