Tourtière
Quebec's spiced meat pie — a double-crust pastry filled with ground pork and beef seasoned with cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. A holiday staple.
About This Recipe
Tourtière is the great pie of Quebec — a deep, spiced meat pie that has been the centrepiece of the réveillon Christmas Eve celebration for centuries. The combination of pork, beef, and warming spices (cinnamon, cloves, allspice) wrapped in a golden pastry crust is one of the most distinctive flavour profiles in Canadian cooking, unmistakably Québécois.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 500 gground pork
- 250 gground beef
- 1 largeonion(finely diced)
- 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
- 150 mlbeef stock
- 1 tspground cloves
- 1 tspcinnamon
- 1 tspallspice
- 1 tspsalt
- 400 gshortcrust pastry(homemade or store-bought)
- 1egg(for egg wash)
Instructions
- 1
Cook filling
Brown meats with onion and garlic. Add stock and spices. Simmer 20 min until liquid is absorbed. Cool.
- 2
Line pie dish
Roll out half the pastry and line a 23 cm pie dish.
- 3
Fill and top
Spoon in cooled meat filling. Top with second pastry sheet. Crimp edges and cut steam vents.
- 4
Egg wash and bake
Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 190 °C for 35–40 min until deep golden.
Pro Tips
- →
Cool the filling completely before adding to the pastry shell or the bottom will become soggy.
Variations
- •
Add diced potatoes or celery to the filling
- •
Use venison or veal for a richer pie
- •
Make individual small pies
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat at 180 °C until piping hot.
History & Origin
Tourtière's origins are disputed — the name may come from the type of bird (tourte, or passenger pigeon) originally used as filling, or from the dish it was cooked in. The réveillon tradition of serving tourtière after midnight Mass has been documented in Quebec since the 17th century.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze tourtière?
Yes — freeze baked or unbaked. Reheat baked from frozen at 180 °C for 30 min.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving · 6 servings total
Time Summary
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