Tourtiere

by Charlie McCarthy, Sr.

Dad's famous tourtiere which he made for Christmas. Often served with gravy, or for the kids; swiss chalet gravy, and/or ketchup.

Ingredients

• kosher salt
• pepper
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground mustard
• 1/8 tsp ground clove
• cayenne
• 1 large russet potato
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cups celery
• 1 lbs ground beef
• 1 lbs ground pork
• pie dough
• egg

Recipe

1. Mix 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp pepper, thyme, sage, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice, ground mustard, ground clove, and a pinch of cayenne together in a small bowl.
2. Place quartered large russet potato in a saucepan; cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat. Simmer until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Scoop out potatoes and transfer to a bowl; save cooking liquid. Mash potatoes with a potato masher.
3. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir until onions turn golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Stir crushed garlic, diced celery, and spice blend into the skillet with onions. Stir until onion mixture is evenly coated with the spices, about 30 seconds. Add ground beef and ground pork. Ladle about 3/4 cup of the potato cooking liquid into the skillet.
5. Cook and stir until meat is browned and has a very fine, almost paste like texture. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 45 minutes. Stir in mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
6. Preheat oven to 375F.
7. Divide chilled pie dough into 2 pieces, one just slightly larger than the other. Roll the larger piece out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface. Place in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Roll top crust out into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Cut small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
8. Fill bottom crust with the meat mixture; smooth out the surface. Whisk egg and water together to make egg wash. Brush edges of the bottom crust with egg wash. Place top crust on the pie and press lightly around the edges to seal. Trim excess dough from the crust. Crimp the edges of the crust. Brush entire surface of the pie with egg wash.
9. Place in preheated oven. Bake until well browned, about 1 hour. Let cool to almost room temperature before serving.

Enjoy!