French Meat Pie

Tourtière is a hearty French Canadian meat pie traditionally served around Christmastime, but delicious any time of year. This recipe uses a flavorful ground pork and beef filling seasoned with warm spices and wrapped in flaky, golden puff pastry.

Classic French Canadian meat pie (or tourtière) is the ultimate hearty comfort food. This French meat pie recipe features a savory, perfectly seasoned ground pork and beef filling nestled into a tender, flaky puff pastry crust. While tourtière is traditionally served around the holidays, this mouthwatering dish can be enjoyed all year round.

French meat pie may seem intimidating for home cooks to prepare, but it’s actually quite easy to make. This step-by-step French meat pie recipe walks you through preparing the flavorful meat filling, assembling the pie in a pie dish, and baking it up with a beautiful golden brown crust. I’ll also provide tips for reheating leftovers and making substitutions while retaining an authentic tourtière flavor profile. Whether you’re French Canadian or simply a meat pie aficionado, you’ll adore this version loaded with onions, celery, warm spices, and just enough potato binder to hold it all together. So gather your ingredients and let’s dive into another treasured recipe from the French Canadian culinary tradition!

What type of meat should I use? 

You can use a combination of ground pork and beef, like in the recipe, just one type of ground meat, or even a meat substitute like soy crumbles.

Is the puff pastry necessary or can I use a regular pie crust? 

While puff pastry creates the classic, flaky texture, you can substitute regular pie crust or store-bought refrigerated pie dough.

Can I make the filling ahead of time? 

Yes! Prepare the meat filling up to a day in advance, let it cool completely, then refrigerate until ready to assemble the pie.

How do I reheat leftover meat pie slices? 

Wrap individual slices in foil and reheat at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, until heated through.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1⁄4 lb ground beef
• 1⁄2 large onion, diced small
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1⁄4 tsp ground clove
• 1⁄2 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp savory
• 1⁄4 tsp ground allspice
• 1⁄2 tsp black pepper
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 large russet potato, grated
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 sheets store-bought puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water for egg wash

Instructions

1. Dice the onion and celery until very finely chopped. Mince the garlic clove.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and spice mixture. Cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer vegetable mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, cook ground pork and beef over medium-high heat, breaking up meat very finely with a wooden spoon as it browns.
4. Return cooked vegetable mixture to the skillet and add the grated potato, beef stock, and meat mixture. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Remove filling from heat and allow to cool completely while preparing the crust. Recipe by Ineskohl.info
6. Roll out one puff pastry sheet to fit the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish. Add cooled filling, pressing down firmly with a spoon to pack it in tightly.
7. Roll out second puff pastry sheet for the top crust. Cover pie filling and seal edges with bottom crust by pressing with a fork. Cut a few small slits on top to allow steam to escape.
8. Brush entire top crust with egg wash. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes until deep golden brown.
9. Allow meat pie to cool for a few hours or overnight before serving. Enjoy cold or warm with ketchup.

Tips

• Chill the pie dough and meat filling before assembling for easier handling.
• Brush the puff pastry with egg wash before baking for a shiny, golden finish.
• Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or a pie shield if browning too quickly while baking.
• Let the cooked meat pie rest for a couple hours before serving for the juices to settle and flavors meld.

Enjoy this tasty French Canadian classic! Let me know in the comments how it turned out for you.