This recipe is based on recipes from the old Laura Secord Canadian Cookbook which you can still buy from Amazon etc. The book first came out in 1967 as a centennial project but it is full of great recipes. At any rate for my Tourtiere I use the following savoury pastry recipe and it actually never fails. There is enough pastry in this recipe to make three 9” pies.

Klondike Never-fail Pastry

Mix together

5 ½ cups of all purpose flour or 6 ½ cups of pastry flour

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

3 tablespoons  brown sugar

Blend the above with 1 pound of lard with a pastry blender until it is the consistency of coarse meal  –  I use lard like Tenderflake

Break one egg into a measuring cup and beat slightly then add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and fill the measuring cup to the ¾ cup level with cold water and mix.

Add the liquid slowly to the dry ingredients and add just enough to make the dough cling together. I find I usually use the whole ¾ cup.

Chill the dough before using.

Filling

Okay this part I tend to fake and the following amounts will make you filling for 3 pies so alter accordingly.

3lb  ground chicken

1lb ground pork

1lb ground beef

2 medium onions

3 carrots

3 celery sticks

Garlic cloves (as many as you like 2-3 usually)

5-6 medium Yukon gold potatoes

 

Instructions

Boil the potatoes and mash with a hand masher

In a food processor mince the onions, carrots garlic and celery

Cook the meat in a large pot until done, add the mashed potatoes, the minced vegies and spices/herbs Mix and cook well.

The spices or herbs you want to add are kind of up to you. I tend to go gentle on spicy stuff since not everyone likes that so use things like Marjoram, Thyme, Sage and/or cloves and pepper and salt. The amounts depend on your taste.

Then just roll the pastry for the pie plates, fill with meat mixture, cover with pastry and use egg wash or milk and bake.

Baking instructions:

Set oven at 450F and bake pie/pies for 10 minutes, Reduce heat to 350F and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes until browned. You can freeze it or eat it right away.