Tourtière – French Canadian Meat Pie

For the crust:
1. Add flour and salt to food processor. Pulse to mix.
2. Add lard, one third at a time, pulsing to combine, until you have a crumbly, sandy textured mixture.
3. Transfer dry mix from food processor large bowl. Add just enough cold water to make it come together into a dough.
4. Pat into a flat disk, divide in half, and wrap both disks with plastic wrap. Chill a half hour, minimum.
Tourtière Filling:
1. Start peeled, large-cubed potatoes cooking, in a medium sauce pan, with salted cold water over medium-high heat about 10 – 15 minutes before you start cooking your filling. Ideally, you want them both to finish cooking at the same time. (Reduce or advance temperature, if needed, to adjust timing.)
2. Add a good slick of olive oil to a large frying pan. Add half of your meat mix. Season well with salt and pepper as it cooks. Once cooked, drain meats in a colander, set in/over a large bowl to catch any meat drippings. Repeat with balance of meat mixture until well-cooked and drained then transfer 3 cups (750 grams), well packed, into to large mixing bowl and reserve. (Also reserve meat drippings for potatoes.)
3. Add more olive oil to pan, over medium heat and cook onions until translucent, about 2 minutes. Then add garlic and cook lightly, another 2 minutes, before adding entire contents of pan to measured meat mixture.
4. Your potatoes should be fully cooked by now. Drain and mash, adding ONLY meat drippings for fat and flavour so your potatoes are light and fluffy, not sticky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add 1 cup (250 grams) of potato mash into your reserved meat mix. Add thyme, cinnamon, all spice, cloves and flour (see notes) plus up to a half cup of beef stock (see notes). Mix well to combine. Taste. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Reserve to cool or fridge for later.
Assembly /Bake
1. Pre-heat oven to 365°f (185°c). Coat pie plate well with non-stick spray. Roll one dough disk on a well-floured surface into a thin, flat, round sheet about 12 inches wide – to be able to fit into your pie pan with extra over the sides.
2. Gently press the pastry dough into your pan, then trim edges, leaving an extra 1/2 inch all the way around. Then fold that 1/2 inch under to give your pie edge depth and shape.
3. Scoop in your tourtière meat filling; cold or at room temperature. Gently press the meat mixture together so it adheres well inside the pie.
4. Roll your top crust and transfer to top of pie, using your rolling pin. Trim excess to match bottom pie crust
5. Cut top vent in centre of pie with a small decorative cookie cutter, or a sharp pairing knife.
6. Using you fingers, or a brush apply a thin coat of water to your bottom edges, to help you dough stick together. Crimp edges together using your fingers for a fluted finish. Or use the tongs of a fork for a rustic approach.
7. Finish top of crust with any desired pastry decoration – leaves, stars, and trees are very popular – using leftover pastry bits and a little water to help make them stick.
8. Whisk egg, with one tablespoon of water. Brush top of pie with egg wash and immediately place in 365°f (185°c) oven for 15 – 20 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature 340°f (170°c) and bake for an additional 30 minutes (up to 45 for ceramic pie plates).
9. Remove Tourtière from the oven. Let stand for 10 minutes then cut and serve. Happy holidays!