Authentic Tourtière Recipe Quebec, Canada

Tourtière is a spiced meat pie made with shortcrust pastry and a generously seasoned stuffing consisting of ground or cubed meat, onions, and potatoes. Each region has its own different version of the dish, each with its own special intricacies. Nevertheless, some basic steps must be followed when preparing any version of the dish. The dough for the pie is shortcrust pastry — lard is often recommended as shortening, resulting in an especially delicious and flaky pastry. The type of meat varies from pork and veal to wild game or even fish. Whether ground or cubed, the meat is sometimes pre-cooked before being baked in the pie, and the stuffing can be thickened with the addition of oatmeal or breadcrumbs. Once the stuffing has been prepared, it is wrapped in dough and baked in a casserole dish. The exception to this rule is the Acadian version of the pie, which is baked in small, individual pie pans.