This gluten free Tourtiere, tourtière in French, is a classic French Canadian meat pie. It's traditionally served for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve buffets but it's welcome at any holiday meal.
Naturally there are variations from region to region and family to family. Some recipes use breadcrumbs to bind the meat together while others use mashed potatoes. For my gluten free version I used potatoes and my tried-and-true flaky pie pastry made with my EGFG gluten free flour blend.
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Ingredients
Gluten free pastry will have adjustments made from a traditional pastry made with wheat flour to account for the unique properties of the flour. If you're not happy with your baking you've got to learn more about the flour blend(s) you're using. In this day and age people are making gluten free foods everyone wants to eat.
- gluten free pie pastry (double crust to make a full top and bottom)
- ground beef
- ground pork
- onion
- garlic clove
- thyme
- ground savoury (optional)
- ground cloves
- cinnamon
- potatoes
- egg
- milk
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Variations and Accompaniments
Hand Pies - I also like to make tourtiere hand pies, similar to Spanish empanadas.
Accompaniments - Tourtiere can be served with cranberry chutney, cabbage slaw, pickles or pickled beets, every family has their own favourite accompaniment.
Gluten Free Pastry on YouTube
Not so many years ago I would have said I don’t make pastry often. Now I'm always teaching tricks to make gluten free pastry and it seems easy.
Best Tools for Making Meat Pie
Every kitchen needs at least one 9-inch pyrex pie plate (but buy two, always buy two). Pie plates can get fancy with recipes and designs printed onto them but if they aren't the standard size the recipe may need to be adjusted. No one wants to get down to put the filling in their pie only to find out there isn't enough pastry for the top. Of there isn't enough filling to make your pie the thickness you want.
This recipe is written for the old fashioned 9-inch pie plate with a low profile. You'll get eight pieces with plenty of filling in each one.
One of the best resources I have in my kitchen are my gluten free cookbooks from America’s Test Kitchen. They do more testing than any home cook could ever do and I thank them for that. These two books would be a fabulous gift for anyone new to gluten free cooking (or for yourself).
Gluten Free Tourtiere (French Canadian Meat Pie)
Ingredients
- 1 double crust pastry recipe* enough to make a full top and bottom
FILLING
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- ½ cup water
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground savoury (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup mashed potatoes
EGG WASH
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
ACCOMPANIMENTS
- Serve with cranberry chutney, cabbage slaw, pickles or pickled beets. (My friend Jack says ketchup, no discussion!)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan combine beef, pork, water, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil while stirring to break up meat. Turn down and simmer for 45 minutes (no lid), filling should be moist but not watery.
- Add spices and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat, mix in mashed potatoes and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
ROLL OUT PASTRY
- Roll chilled pastry into 2 large circles slightly bigger than the pie plate.
- Transfer one piece to the pie plate pushing it into the sides of the pan.*
- Fill pie shell with meat mixture.
- Carefully add the second pastry circle on top of the pie. Create a pattern with a small knife. Use your thumb to press the bottom and top pastry into the edge of the pie plate creating a nice pattern. Trim excess dough with a knife.
EGG WASH
- Beat egg and milk with fork. Brush the top of pie and bake in preheated oven for 45 – 60 minutes.
- Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with desired accompaniments. Freezes well.
Notes
Nutrition
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