Tourtiere Pie

I was born in Maine but my grandparents came from Montreal and Quebec. One thing I remember very clearly at Christmas time was the tourtiere pies that my grandmothers would make. My grandmother was a sweet and very comedic lady. There are countless stories of her trying to get a laugh out of many of her friends and family members through her zany antics, facial expressions and practical jokes.

A tourtiere is a meat pie made famous by the Canadians. It is traditionally served at Christmas time and is made with ground pork, but since we do not eat pork I use ground beef and ground turkey combined. The other unique thing about this meat pie is the use of cinnamon, cloves and allspice as the seasonings. We serve it with a sweet relish. 

Meat Pie (Tourtiere)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef and ground turkey combined
1 large baking potato
1 large onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 dash ground allspice
1/2 cup water
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust deep dish pie
1 egg

1. Bake the potato until done, 30 - 45 minutes in a preheated 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) oven. Peel and mash the potato.

2. Place the potato, ground beef and turkey, onion, spices and water in a large frying pan and simmer until very thick, for about one hour.

3. Meanwhile, prepare your pastry or use a store bought one. Use cookie cutters to cut out designs if desired.

4. Line a deep-dish pie plate with pastry. Spoon in filling, spreading evenly. Cover with top crust.

5. Brush with beaten egg.

6. Bake for 50 minutes at 350.