Tourtière (Québec Meat Pie)

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, add the cold lard and butter and rub them in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized lumps. Add the ice water a little at a time, stirring with a fork, and stop as soon as the dough holds together when squeezed. Divide it into two pieces, about 60/40, flatten them into discs, wrap and chill for 1 h. All butter works if you have no lard.

   Add in this stepPlain (all-purpose) flour 170 gSalt (for the pastry) ¼ tspLard, cold 45 gUnsalted butter, cold, diced 45 gIce-cold water 45 ml

2. Peel the potato, cut it into 2 cm chunks and put it in a 16 cm saucepan with cold water. Boil over medium heat for 12 min, until a skewer slides in easily, then drain and mash finely with a fork.

   Add in this stepFloury potato 100 g

   medium heat

3. Heat a 24 cm frying pan over medium-high heat, add the pork, beef, onion and garlic and cook for 8 min, breaking the meat into small crumbs with a spatula, until no pink remains and the onion is soft. If a lot of fat collects, blot some away with kitchen paper.

   Add in this stepMinced (ground) pork 180 gMinced (ground) beef 90 gOnion, finely chopped 70 gGarlic cloves, minced 1

   medium-high heat

4. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the stock, lower the heat to medium-low heat and simmer for 10 min. When the liquid has nearly gone, stir in the mashed potato to make a moist filling that holds together. Taste for seasoning, then spread it in a wide dish to cool for 25 min; hot filling makes the bottom crust soggy.

   Add in this stepGround cinnamon ¼ tspGround cloves 1 pinchGround allspice ¼ tspDried thyme (or dried savory) ½ tspSalt (for the filling) ¾ tspGround black pepper ¼ tspBeef stock or water 100 ml

   medium-low heat

5. Roll the larger disc 3 mm thick, line a 15 cm pie dish with it and trim, leaving 1 cm overhanging. Fill with the cooled filling, level it and brush the rim with egg. Roll out the smaller disc, lay it on top, press the edges together and crimp with your fingers or a fork. Brush the top with egg and cut 3 or 4 steam vents with a knife.

   Add in this stepEgg (for the egg wash) 1

6. Bake on the lower shelf of an oven preheated to 200 °C (oven) for 35 min, until the top is deep golden and juices bubble up through the vents. If the edges darken first, cover them with strips of foil. Let it rest for 10 min before slicing so the filling holds its shape.

   oven