Special Pork Tourtiere Recipes

Steps:

• Combine pork, water, onion, garlic, apple, raisins, apricots and seasonings in pan.
• Bring to a boil.
• then simmer uncovered, until liquid has evaporated (45 min) Stir often.
• Remove from heat, stir in bread crumbs and cool to room temperature.
• When filling is cooled pour into two unbaked pie shells, cover, brush top shell with milk Place pies in 400°F preheated oven for 10 minute.
• Reduce heat to 350°F for 25- 35 minutes.
• Pies freeze well.

Steps:

• Remove the crusts from the box and let sit at room temperature.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and sauté until tender and golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add the ground pork. As it cooks, break it up with a spatula or wooden spoon, cooking until no traces of pink remain, about 5 minutes. Stir in the apples, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Transfer the pork mixture to a shallow bowl, cover and refrigerate until slightly cooled, about 15 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate with one of the crusts. Add the cooled pork and apple filling, spreading it in an even layer. Place the remaining crust on top, then pinch and crimp the edges together. Make several small slits in the top crust for venting.
• Bake the pie for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.

Steps:

• In large heavy saucepan, combine pork, water, onions, celery & garlic.
• Cook over medium-high heat until bubbling, stirring to break up the meat.
• Add salt, savoury, thyme, pepper, cloves and bay leaf.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
• Remove bay leaf.
• Stir in mashed potato, mixing well.
• Taste and add more salt & pepper if needed.
• Let cool, stirring occasionally(mixture will thicken as it cools.).
• Line pie plate with pastry.
• Fill with meat mixture.
• Cover with remaining pastry; seal and crimp edges; cut a few steam vents.
• Brush top crust with glaze.
• Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375 and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Steps:

• Make the dough. In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and lard in stages, pulsing until the mixture forms bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist but not wet.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather into two balls. Flatten each into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Make the pork shoulder. Season the pieces of pork aggressively with salt and pepper. Put 1 tablespoon of the oil into a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, and set it over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, sear the meat on all sides until browned, turning as necessary, 10 minutes.
• Add the allspice berries and cinnamon sticks, and stir to toast them, then add the beer. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer steadily until the pork is very tender, 45 minutes to an hour. (When the pork is done, you can allow it to cool in its liquid and refrigerate it for one or two days before using.)
• Make the chicken or turkey. Heat oven to 325. Season the chicken or turkey thighs aggressively with salt and pepper, then roast in a cast-iron pan or shallow baking tray until their skin is crisp and they have cooked through, approximately 1 hour. (The chicken or turkey, too, may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator before using.)
• Make the pie filling. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven set over medium heat, and when it foams, add the onions, garlic and parsley. Cook, stirring often, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring often, until they are soft and have given up their liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine or stock, and stir to deglaze the pan, then cook until the liquid has evaporated, 5 minutes.
• Add the ground pork and the spices, and cook until the pork has lost its pinkness, 5 to 7 minutes. Add grated potato, and cook another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Shred the cooked chicken or turkey into the pot along with the cooked pork and about 1/2 cup of its braising liquid, stir lightly to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to a day.
• Assemble the pie. Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of oven, and heat to 400.
• Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator, and using a pin, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 10 to 11 inches in diameter. Fit this crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or cast-iron pan, trimming it to leave an overhang. Place this plate, with the dough, in the freezer.
• Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 10 to 11 inches in diameter.
• Remove pie crust from freezer, and put the chilled filling into it. Cover with remaining dough. Press the edges together, trim excess, then crimp the edges. Using a sharp knife, cut three or four steam vents in the top of the crust. Paint the pie's top with the egg wash.
• Place pie in oven on hot baking sheet, and cook for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350, and cook until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes more. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brown pork and beef then drain fat.
• Add water, onion, garlic and spices. Mix with browned meat then simmer for 25 minutes.
• Boil and mash potatoes.
• Add meat evenly to two pie shells placed in pie pans. Cover with mashed potatos, then cover once again with the other two crusts.
• Beat the egg and brush the top crust of both pies.
• Bake the pies @ 350 F for 40 minutes.

Steps:

• To make the pastry, sift the flour with the salt and baking powder.
• With your fingertips, cut in the lard and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Stir in the ice water. Form into a ball. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for 30 minutes.
• Place all the filling ingredients except the potato into a pot. Mix well. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is cooked.
• Add the mashed potato and mix well to eliminate any lumps. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper or spices as needed.
• Cool. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
• Divide the pastry in half. Roll out half to fit a 9 inch (23 cm) pie plate.
• Add the filling. Cover with the remaining pastry. Make three or four incisions on top of the pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Serve hot.