Beauty in the Ordinary

This is not about being brilliant, or extraordinary, it's not about wanting to be famous, or making headlines, or trying to impress...this about sharing a 'gift' each day with the world...to lift the spirit of people when they read this blog, to show them the beauty in the ordinary.
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Raold Dahl

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Tourtière

I'm looking for a good Tourtière recipe.




I can handle the pastry part, but I'm confused about the filling.

It seems there are many different versions, and given that I have only eaten this once, I really don't know what constitutes a 'good' recipe!

Is it...

just lean ground, or finely diced pork 

or
ground pork, veal, beef 

or a combination, and in what ratio?

Is it seasoned with...

ground black pepper
crushed celery seed
dash allspice
dash ground cloves
 apple cider

or...

 salt
 cinnamon
pepper
 dried summer savory
cloves


or perhaps...

thyme, savoury, sage, cinnamon and cloves?

Do I add a dash of Worcestershire Sauce?

Wikipedia says...
Tourtière is a meat pie originating from Quebec, usually made with finely diced pork and/or veal, or beef. Wild game is often added to enhance the taste of the pie. It is a traditional part of the Christmas and/or Christmas Eve réveillon, New Year's Eve, and Thanksgiving meal in Quebec, but is also enjoyed and sold in grocery stores all year long. This kind of pie is known as pâté à la viande (literally, meat pie) in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.
Tourtière is not exclusive to Quebec. Tourtière is a traditional French-Canadian dish served by generations of French-Canadian families throughout Canada and the bordering areas of the United States. In the New England region of the U.S., especially in Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New Hampshire, early 20th century immigrants from Quebec introduced the dish.
There is no one correct filling, as the pie meat depends on what is available in regions. In coastal areas, fish such as salmon is commonly used, whereas pork, beef, rabbit, and game are often used inland. The name derives from the vessel in which it was originally cooked, a tourtière.

So fellow bloggers...do you have a favourite tourtière recipe?
I really would like to add this to my Christmas cooking répertoire.




16 comments:

  1. I'm of no use ..lol I never heard of it!
    good luck <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perhaps just of no use in this one particular category OGM! LOL!

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  2. That meat pie looks so delicious. Trouble is my O/H is diabetic so pastry 's a nono in our house

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perhaps a pastry-less one Molly - think shepherd's pie with potato instead!

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  3. Coincidentally I found this today on a favourite blog of mine. And he's a chef so I am sure he knows how to make a good pie...and French. http://www.anormandykitchen.com/2012/11/la-tourtiere-de-carmen.html?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Chania...have just visited with Monsieur Normandie and will be testing the recipe tout de suite!

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  4. Hello Jacqueline

    I will be checking back to see what your readers post. Like you I have tasted tourtiere but I have not baked it
    I made Beef n Guinness this week and posted it - result was delicious.

    Helenxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. See above comment/reply...I will be testing his recipe. But be sure I will be right over to check out your Beef 'n Guinness too!

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  5. Omg I LOVE tourtiere!! It was the traditional Christmas Eve dinner when I was growing up, and still is in my home today.

    Here's my go-to recipe, tweaked from the one handed down from great-great-grandmother:

    1# ground beef
    1/2# ground pork
    2 strips bacon, diced
    1 clove minced garlic
    about 1 cup chopped onions
    3/4 cup water
    1 tsp. salt
    1/4 tsp. pepper
    3/4 tsp. sage
    1/4 tsp allspice
    3 T. chopped fresh parsley
    1 large potato, mashed

    Brown beef, pork & bacon, add garlic and onion and saute a few minutes. Add water and spices, cover and simmer at least 20 minutes (on low), and up to an hour. Add parsley and potato.

    Fill pie crust, dot with butter, top with rest of crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

    Yum!!

    (My kids fight over this for breakfast on Christmas morning!)

    Note: my mother used cloves, but I prefer the more subtle allspice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you T! I'm going to make it this weekend!

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  6. Like Helen Tilston, I love Beef-n-Guinness. But my favourite pie has to be Steak-n-kidney (Kate and Sydney). With all beef based pies, I think it's plenty of freshly ground pepper that really makes them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the tip Cro...will definitely make sure there's enough pepper!

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  7. Hello Jacqueline,
    Funny we posted the same day about Tourtiére - thanks for the link up Chania. Beautiful blog, but sorry for the stress you are going though with your hubby - I wish him and you strength through this. I know what a nightmare it is to live through.
    I have my parents arriving from the UK soon to collect their Tourtiére which they have adopted too! (My dads family is from Gosport not to far from your roots!) The recipe for tourtiere is my partners mother's and they are French Canadian from outside Ottawa - she changed her mothers recipe from beef to veal which I do like. I hope it turns out well - as I said on my blog grind the thickness before cooking. My partners mother uses a lean meat that is finely ground - I have to grind my own to get it the same (and they don't like potato in it... LOL so many recipes for it!!) Hope you find you perfect mix.
    Best wishes Ivan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for this Ivan. The one thing I do remember about my one and only taste of it, was the fine grind of the meat, so will definitely add this step!
      I'll let you know how it turns out!

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