Tourtière is a traditional French Canadian meat pie filled with summer savory, course ground pork and onions, encased in a flaky, golden crust. This hearty and comforting dish is perfect for Christmas time, offering a taste of Quebec’s rich culinary heritage.
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Tourtière Recipe aka French Canadian Pork Pie
Tourtière is a beloved French-Canadian meat pie that is a holiday tradition for families in Quebec and those families of it’s origin. This cozy dish is traditionally enjoyed during Christmas, is known for its savory pork filling and flaky, golden crust. This recipe in particular is one my family has passed down generation to generation.
I grew up with a large family on my mother’s side and every year a few days before Christmas a group of family members would come together to prepare the Pork Pies (as we always called them) for Christmas Day. Some would work on the filling, some on the pie dough, us kids would run around and annoy everyone the whole thing was always a big task as the original recipe makes 6 to 8 pies. It was always a special occasion to get everyone together in the kitchen.
We would then par bake the pies and save them for Christmas morning/brunch. Growing up with a tradition like this I always assumed this is also what everyone else did but it turns out that this recipe is very specific to Québécois people and their families. Tourtière is consumed by French Canadians on Christmas, even more specifically French Canadian Catholics. Many families will bake the dish on Christmas Eve and enjoy it after midnight mass or as my family does serve it after opening presents Christmas Morning.
As with a lot of family specific recipes and customs each family recipe is going to vary slightly and make their meat pie different ways. I am sure back a couple hundred years ago this recipe was made with whatever meat was readily available including pork but most likely also ground beef and wild game. Some other versions of recipes you see might include a ground meat mixture for the filling.
Besides the use of different meats this recipe may also vary slightly in that it uses dried bread cubes to thicken the meat filling as opposed to a lot of recipes you see will use diced potato or mashed potatoes. This recipe also fully relies on the uncommon spice called Summer Savory, while some will use an array of spices. All these different recipes aren’t wrong they are just a variation of how each individual family made and then passed down the dish. I hope you enjoy my family’s version of this beloved meal this holiday season.
Ingredients
- Pork Butt (Boston Butt) – Course ground is best. Store bought ground pork works but for an authentic recipe you want to course grind a pork butt. At some butcher/meat counters they will course grind the pork for you, although in more recent times I have found the butchers less happy to do this. Luckily it is really easy to grind the pork yourself with a kitchen-aid attachment, the link to the meat grinder kitchen aid attachment is in the recommended products below. Once the you have course ground the pork (use the attachment with the larger holes) you can measure out two pounds using a Digital Kitchen Scale. Also note that the pork butt actually comes from the upper shoulder of the pig and is sometimes referred to as a boston butt.
- Yellow Onion – Use a yellow variety of onion for the best flavor.
- Summer Savory – Not to be confused with just Savory or Winter Savory which is the more popular of the savory plants, Summer Savory is its own variety of savory with a very unique taste, luckily in the days of the internet you can get your hands on some in just a few clicks, follow the link to get the summer savory I have been buying for myself.
- Dried Bread Cubes – Like the ones you buy for stuffing, these can be seasoned with herbs.
- Kosher Salt – Of course salt needs to be used, I highly recommend using kosher salt when cooking as it better dissolves into the food.
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper – Just a little for flavoring, fresh ground is going to have the best flavor.
- Pie Crusts – One for the bottom and one for the top. I’m partial to using a homemade pie crust for a recipe like this, growing up we always use a pie dough recipe with vegetable shortening but as an adult I make in exclusively with a butter pie dough for a nice and flaky crust. I recommend you use my All Butter Pie Crust Recipe. Note for the crust you will want to make sure you use a deep dish pie dish, if not you might have too much of the meat pie filling.
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Instructions
Cook the Pork and Onions
In a large pot, combine the coarse ground pork and diced onions. Cover with water (about 2.5 to 3 cups) and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Once simmering, reduce the heat slightly and let it cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fully cooked and tender.
Prepare the Filling
Turn off the heat, and stir in the summer savory, bread cubes, salt, and pepper. Mix everything thoroughly to ensure even distribution of seasoning.
Return the mixture to the stove over medium heat, letting it simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to blend the flavors, then remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool. At this point the mixture should be thick.
Assemble the Pie
Prepare the bottom crust by pressing it into a deep-dish pie plate. Once the filling has cooled to room temperature, transfer it into the pie crust in the pie plate, spreading it evenly.
Roll out the second pie crust and place it over the filling. Trim and seal the edges, pressing gently to crimp the sides together. Use a knife to cut four small vents in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.
Bake the Pie
Place the pie plate on a sheet pan to catch any drips and prevent smoke from the pork drippings. Transfer the pie to a preheated oven and bake for 1 hour at 375º F, or until the crust is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let the pie rest for at least 10 minutes even a bit longer before serving. This resting time helps the filling set and makes it easier to slice.
tips, tricks and questions
Grinding the Pork:
For the most authentic taste and texture, use coarse ground pork butt. If you don’t have a butcher who can do this for you, consider using a KitchenAid meat grinder attachment to grind it at home.
Can I use store-bought ground pork instead of pork butt?
Yes, store-bought ground pork works, though coarse ground pork butt is preferred for an authentic texture and taste. Grinding your own pork at home allows you to control the coarseness and adds to the overall experience.
Freezing the Pie:
To freeze Tourtière, par-bake the pie by baking until the crust is lightly browned (about 20-25 minutes). Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. When you’re ready to serve, bake it straight from the freezer until fully cooked.
Can I make Tourtière ahead of time?
Definitely! Par-bake the pie, let it cool, and freeze it for later use. Or if it is just the night before and you are planning on baking ti the next day you can make the whole pie and leave in the the fridge uncooked for one night, just ensure that the filling is cooled down all the way before adding to the crust, otherwise it might start to melt the crust.
Should pot roast be covered with liquid in slow cooker?
No. We are braising the chuck roast, it isn’t a stew. With braising the majority of the roast will be out of the liquid. As the roast and vegetables cook they will releases juices which will cover the roast as it cooks.
What sides go well with Tourtière?
Growing up we always accompanied our pork pie with a relish tray filled with a variety of black olives, green olives, and pickles or other pickled vegetables. A nice side salad is also welcome.
If you like this Canadian Pork Pie Recipe you might also like:
Tourtière Recipe
Enjoy my family’s classic tourtière recipe featuring a savory pork filling inside a flaky pie crust, the perfect way to celebrate Christmas with a slice of meat pie.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds course ground Pork Butt (Boston Butt)*
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 ½ tablespoons summer savory
- 2 ½ cups dried bread cubes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 pie crusts
Instructions
- Add the course ground pork and diced onions to a large pot. Cover with water, this will probably be about 2 ½ to 3 cups of water. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering, reduce to medium heat. Cook stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Add the summer savory, bread cubes, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together well. Turn the heat back to medium. Once at a simmer cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat to cool down.
- Prepare the bottom pie crust into a deep dish pie plate. Once the pork filling is cooled add the filling to the pie plate. Roll out the second pie crust and transfer to the top of the pie. Trim and seal the sides of the pie. Add four steam vents into the top of the pie.
- Add the pie plate to a sheet pan (otherwise the grease from the pork gets really smoky if it drips down to the bottom of the oven). Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
*Store bought ground pork works but for an authentic recipe you want to course grind a pork butt. At some butcher/meat counters they will course grind the pork for you, although in more recent times I have found the butchers less happy to do this. It is also really easy to grind the pork yourself with a kitchen-aid attachment, the link to the meat grinder kitchen aid attachment is in the recommended products below. Also note that the pork butt actually comes from the upper shoulder of the pig and is sometimes referred to as a boston butt.
For Freezing: Par bake the entire pie until the crust is light brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Once the pie is all the way cooled wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before freezing.
The bread cubes can be seasoned.
Summer savory is a specific herb that is different from what is regular savory. I have been buying it from amazon since I have a hard time finding it locally. See the recommended products for summer savory.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1/8th the pieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 378Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 459mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 30g
Nutritional data is automated and might not be 100% accurate, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.
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