Northern New England Pork Pies (Tourtière)

Make these tasty pork pies.

Makes four dinner-size servings.

  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 lb. ground pork or beef
  • 1 cup onions, diced
  • 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped finely
  • Pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1½ cups potatoes, diced 1/3-inch
  • 1¼ cups beef broth, or substitute chicken broth or water
  • ¼ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 2 frozen puff pastry sheets
  • 2 eggs, discard one of the whites and beat the remaining with a generous pinch of salt and sugar
  • To taste, salt and black pepper

Heat a saute pan on high heat. Add the vegetable oil and ground pork. Cook, stirring until the meat is cooked through.

Remove the meat with a slotted spoon, leaving a few tablespoons of the fat in the pan. In the same pan, add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes or until light golden. Add the thyme and nutmeg, cook 30 seconds. Add the diced potatoes and broth.

Bring to a full boil, cover with a lid and steam for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom. Be careful not to mash the potatoes. If the potatoes are cooked and there is still excess broth, boil down without a lid until the liquid is reduced and thickened. Gently stir in the reserved cooked meat, parsley, seasoning to taste with salt and black pepper. Spread the filling out onto a cookie sheet and allow to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Set up a cookie sheet with a rack for baking. Lay out the puff pastry sheets and allow to thaw if necessary.

Cut 2-7-inch circles from each sheet. Lightly brush the beaten egg mixture around half of the diameter of each circle, being careful not to let it drip down the edges of the pastry. Place 1/4th of the filling on each circle, placing just off center and flattening slightly. Fold the pastry up and over so the side that is egg washed comes in full contact with the size that is dry. Press with your fingers or a crimp the edge with a fork to seal well. Place the pastry on the cooking sheet and chill for 20 minutes to allow them to hold their shape better.

When ready to serve, bake for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is very evenly deep golden brown , puffed and crisp.

Great served with cranberry sauce or chutney, caramelized onions, etc. Enjoy!

Lincoln Culinary Institute
 

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