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Tourtiere: A Canadian meat pie for St. Paddy's or a picnic

There's never a wrong time of year for a savory meat pie. This one incorporates pork, beef, and mushrooms, and is perfect for a chilly evening at home, or a sunny day outdoors.

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A Palatable Pastime
Who needs dessert when you already have a lovely meat pie?

This tourtiere is a version of the traditional Canadian meat pie, with mushrooms.

I had actually made this back around Christmas and never had time to post. It’s not something I make very often, although I don’t know why not. It is certainly a far cry better than the typical frozen pot pies I ate as a child.

Now, with the coming of spring time, this pie is brought to mind as it makes a perfect food to take along for a picnic. Nicely done with a tossed salad and fresh fruit. Desserts? The sky is the limit but you already have pie, so who needs it?

Tourtiere
Serves 5-6

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground chuck

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon garlic paste

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons dry white wine or dry red wine *may substitute cooking wine

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup instant potato flakes

1 ounce dried wild mushrooms

1 cup hot water

1 double crust pastry or pie crust

Beaten egg white

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Pour hot water over mushrooms and soak for 15-20 minutes until soft and pliable. I put mine in a large pyrex cup, covered them with the water and microwaved for 3 minutes then let them sit.

3. When the mushrooms are soft, drain the liquid off them (but save the mushroom liquid) and chop the mushrooms finely and set aside.

4. Cook beef and pork with the onion, garlic and salt and pepper to taste, until the meat is browned and crumbled.

5. Drain off any fat in a sieve and return to the pan.

6. Stir in the seasonings, wine, Worcestershire sauce, potato flakes, chopped mushrooms, and the saved mushroom liquid, cooking and stirring over low heat until the liquid evaporates. Allow to cool.

7. Fit one pie crust into the bottom of a deep dish pie plate.

8. Place filling in pan, covering with the remaining pie crust, crimping edges and cutting several ventilation holes in the top crust.

9. Brush the top of the crust with beaten egg white. If you have any extra dough, you can make little cut-out shapes with a knife or use mini-cutters. Place those on top and brush the extra dough with egg white.

10. Bake pie at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

11. Serve warm or at room temperature with chili sauce, ketchup, or what I like with mine, either steak sauce or pickapeppa sauce.

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