A classic Québécois tourtière, or French-Canadian Christmas meat pie, with a flaky double crust and a savory filling of ground beef and pork, mashed potatoes, and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and thyme. Bake in a cast iron pan or a 9-inch pie tin until golden.
In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water* and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil.
Peel the potatoes and add them to the pot. Boil for 20–30 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork
Reserve ½ cup of the potato water, then drain and mash the potatoes. Set aside.
Make the Tourtière Filling
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet (10-inch or larger) over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring regularly until softened and beginning to brown.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 2–3 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the ground beef and pork, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
Once the meat is no longer pink, add in the spices, salt, and red wine.
When the wine has cooked off, add the reserved ½ cup of potato water.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.
Remove from heat and stir in the mashed potatoes until fully combined.
Let the filling cool completely. For best flavor and texture, refrigerate overnight before assembling the pie.
Assemble the Tourtière
Roll out the prepared pie dough into two rounds about 2 mm thick and at least 2 inches wider than your 8- or 9-inch cast iron pan.
Fit one round into the pan, pressing gently into the corners and leaving about 1 inch of overhang.
Add the cooled filling, pressing down firmly to remove air pockets and spread evenly.
Place the second round of dough on top and trim it about ½ inch shorter than the bottom crust.
Seal the edges using your preferred method (crimp or press with a fork).
Brush the crust with cream, then cut several small vents for steam.
Chill the pie while preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake for 1 hour, or until the crust is golden brown.
Let the pie cool for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
*Or you can first make onion stock with the discarded onion bits from dicing the medium onion by rinsing them and simmering them in the water for 20 minutes.