A Canadian Christmas Tradition: Tourtière Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the tradition of the tourtière? ›

Tourtière was always on the table, and in 17-century Québec, the pie was traditionally served in a cast-iron cauldron and stuffed with cubed meats, often wild game (rabbit, pheasant, or moose). Four centuries later, the pie remains a staple dish both at réveillon and in Québécois households.

Tourtière is originally from Quebec and while every family has its own unique recipe, they all follow a similar formula. It's double-crusted, meaning crust all over, and it is generally made with ground pork and what I call “fall spices”. The regular meat pie tends to have only crust at the top and is made with beef.

But tourtière's history can actually be traced back to at least the 1600s when Quebecois settlers, after attending a midnight mass on Christmas Eve, would get together for a huge late-night feast called a réveillon. There would be sweets, wine, hearty dishes, seafood and always a tourtière.

Tourtière is a meat pie that can be a combination of beef, pork, or veal, as well as potatoes and other vegetables, and seasoned with spices.

It gets its name from the tourte, which is what it was originally made from. Though the name "tourtière" is derived from its filling, the tourte—the French name for the passenger pigeon that is now extinct in North America—was historically used as its filling before the 20th century.

What's in tourtiere? The French-influenced pie is often made with pork, veal, beef, or game and sometimes a combination of the two. Mashed potatoes are folded in to help bind the meat, while celery and onion are other common aromatics. The spices give the pie character, such as allspice, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.

Use two types of minced meat

Pork is fattier and will bring moisture in addition to binding the ingredients, while veal and beef have a more pronounced taste. Choose semi-lean or lean meat—extra-lean meat will make the tourtière too dry.

Freshly Baked

If your Tourtiere is already baked, please store it in the fridge. For best results, the pie should be consumed within 4 days of purchase. To warm, place on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 350°F.

Tourtière is a traditional Québecois meat pie typically served around Christmastime.

Historical records of Quebec tourtière, which was likely named for the copper and tin pans the pies are baked in, date back to the 17th century. But hearty pies of the sort have been around for as long as humans have thought to combine pastry with meat.

Is tourtière a dessert? ›

Tourtière is a double-crusted meat pie that is likely named for a shallow pie dish still used for cooking and serving tourtes (pies) in France. The ground or chopped filling usually includes pork, and is sometimes mixed with other meats, including local game, such as rabbit, pheasant or moose.

Tourtières have a rich history in Quebec: the deep, flaky pie shell filled with chunks of wild game and potatoes dates back centuries ago, introduced during the colonization by French settlers.

Traditionally, Tourtière is served with roasted vegetables or a light frisseé salad. An assortment of pickled foods is always delicious; pickled beets, spicy carrots, gherkins or pickled onions. Many enjoy a tomato-based chutney but most… just break out the ketchup.

(Acadians living in the Maritimes call their version of tourtière by its common name, pâté à viande.) Several recipes for tourtière were printed in La Cuisinière canadienne (1840), likely the first French-language cookbook published in Canada.

Cooked tourtière may be frozen for 4 months or so. There is no need for it to be thawed before reheating. To reheat, cover your frozen Tourtière loosely with foil and place in a 350F oven. Bake until a knife inserted in the centre is hot when you test it.

At Christmas time, there is no dish more quintessentially Canadian than tourtière. Tourtière is a double-crusted meat pie made from ground pork, veal or beef, and flavoured with generous additions of herbs, or combinations of herbs and spices, depending on the recipe and region.

Historical records of Quebec tourtière, which was likely named for the copper and tin pans the pies are baked in, date back to the 17th century. But hearty pies of the sort have been around for as long as humans have thought to combine pastry with meat.

Apple pie is traditionally associated with American patriotism and national identity. During World War II, soldiers famously claimed they were fighting for “mom and apple pie.” Since then, apple pie has become a symbol of family and home for many Americans.