The best Quebec tourtiere recipe for the holidays (2024)

Tourtiere is Quebec’s most popular ready-made dish, according to newspaper columnist Julian Armstrong, author of A Taste of Quebec. Tourtiere is a pie with a flaky pastry top and bottom enclosing a herbed, lightly spiced and well seasoned filling. This is usually made of ground pork, but can include beef, veal or game. Tourtiere has place of honour on Christmas Eve tables in French-speaking Canada and I reckon tourtiere is just about as popular as the other Christmas Eve regular - Santa Claus. But keep in mind, Santa’s good for one night and then the excitement is over. But tourtiere is served with pride throughout the holiday season. So make enough.

Quebec Tourtiere

Quebec has many variations on tourtiere, chunky meat, ground meat, potatoes, breadcrumbs or oatmeal to thicken, but Julian’s favourite is based on a recipe served in a modest East-End Montreal restaurant, Chez Clo. In the tradition of Jehane Benoit, a renowned Quebec culinary personality and cookbook author of a generation ago, the pastry for this tourtiere uses lard. For sheer flakiness, lard is best.

Pastry:

• 5 cups (1.25 L) all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp. (20 ml) baking powder
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) salt
• 1 pkg. (1 lb./454 g) cold lard, cubed
• 1 large egg
• 4 tsp. (20 ml) white vinegar or lemon juice
• Ice water

Filling:

• 2 lb. (908 g) medium ground beef
• 1 lb. (454 g) lean ground pork
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1 cup (250 ml) diced tender celery stalks, with leaves
• 1 cup (250 ml) chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) water
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) dried summer savory
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) each ground cinnamon and cloves
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) each salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) large-flake rolled oats
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) milk

Pastry: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender, cut in lard until mixture looks crumbly, with some larger pea-sized pieces. In a liquid measuring cup, use a fork to blend egg and vinegar. Add enough ice water to make 1 cup (250 ml). Drizzle slowly over dry ingredients, tossing them with a fork to make a ragged dough that clumps together. Press dough until smooth; form into 4 discs. Wrap discs individually with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before rolling.)

Filling: In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven combine beef, pork, onions, celery, parsley, water, savory, cinnamon, cloves, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, constantly breaking up meat and stirring until meat has lost is pinkness and is crumbly, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until liquid has almost evaporated, about 1 hour. Remove from heat, stir in rolled oats. Let cool. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)

On a floured counter and using a floured rolling pin, roll out 1 of pastry discs to a scant 1/4-inch (5 mm) thickness. Line a deep 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate with pastry, leaving edge untrimmed. Fill with half of meat mixture. Moisten pastry on rim of pie plate with water. Roll out a second disc of pastry; unroll over filling. Trim and flute edges to seal. Repeat for second pie. (Make-ahead: Double-wrap with heavy-duty foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Let thaw in refrigerator; add about 10 minutes to the baking time. Cut steam vents in centre of each pie. In a cup, mix egg yolk with milk and brush over surface of both pies. Bake in bottom third of a 400F. (200C.) oven until pastry is golden and filling piping hot, about 40 to 45 minutes.) Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serve Quebec Tourtiere with pickled beets, chili sauce or salsa. Each pie makes 6 to 8 servings.

TIP: It’s easy to see when the pastry is golden brown, but to test for the doneness of the filling, try this technique. Insert the pointy tip of a paring knife through one of the steam vents into the filling. Let it stay for 15 seconds. Remove and feel; if the knife is piping hot, the tourtiere is done.

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