It is Christmas Eve in the year 1959. Tonight is the night we have most eagerly awaited. We children fall asleep with difficulty to the songs of Christmas carols on the record player. A few minutes before midnight, my mother awakens us from a deep sleep. Our excitement at what awaits us brings energy back to our inert bodies. Our snowsuits are quickly pulled over our pajamas for the trip to the old majestic stone church, where we will attend midnight Mass. Outside, the night is crisp and cold. The streetlights send a million stars onto the blanket of snow. It is deep enough to build forts, but tonight we do not care about forts. Driving to the church, the crush of the snow under the car tires reminds us that we are in the land of the Inuit. We spend half of our existence in this fortress of snow, away from the warmth of nature and life. Tonight, we will be making our own life. The church is brimming with people. We are dizzy and nauseous, uncomfortable in our heavy snowsuits. We cannot wait to return to the warmth of our home.
Upon our return home, the magical moment has arrived. After opening the presents that we have for so long wished for, it is time for the réveillon.* It is nearly two o’clock in the morning when we all sit at the dining room table. Scrumptious chocolates, filled with fragrant syrup and juicy cherries, potato chips, peanuts, and homemade cookies of all sorts are displayed on the table, all that we rarely have during the rest of the year. But most of all, we are hungry for pâté à la viande, a delicious and flaky pie filled with ground pork, onions, and spices, a delight of Christmas. Only once or twice a year do we get to taste this dish that is part of our cultural identity, the second occasion being at New Year’s Day dinner, when relatives from far away come to celebrate the New Year with us. After playing with our presents awhile longer, we return to the warmth of our beds, filled with emotions, our thoughts churning from excitement.
Le pâté à la viande is a traditional Québec dish. The recipe has perhaps as many variations as it had grandmothers who passed on their knowledge to their daughters and so on, adding their own touches along the way. Today, pâté à la viande is ubiquitous since it can be purchased in Québec supermarkets all year round. Variations include the choice of herbs, spices, and meat. It can be made solely with ground pork or a mixture of pork and either beef or veal depending on the family tradition.
Some call it tourtière, others pâté à la viande, depending on the region of the province of Québec where they live. It is mostly in urban areas of the province that the word tourtière is used to describe a pie filled with ground meat, also called pâté à la viande. In other regions of the province a tourtière is a pie consisting of cubed meats, onions, and potatoes. Here in the Winooski area of Vermont, tourtière seems to be the preferred name.
Read more about this dish and its history here (in French).
The pie is served with a tomato-based catsup, whether homemade or store-bought crudités, cornichons, and more may be served on the side.
*réveillon: A meal that is served and eaten among family members or friends in the middle of the night.
–Marie Weiss
Pork Filling
This pork filling is leaner than most. If you prefer a creamier texture, you may add an additional tablespoon of mashed potato, diluted in 1 tablespoon of the reserved cooking liquid. The fattiness of the raw pork and the cut of the meat will affect how much moisture needs to be returned to it. The goal is a filling that is fairly moist, but not so moist as to lead to a soggy bottom crust.
The pork mixture can be made the previous day and reheated to room temperature immediately before filling the pie crust.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds good-quality ground pork
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried savory (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons mashed cooked potato, preferably Yukon Gold (from 1 small)
Preparation
Place the pork, onion, garlic, and water in a heavy medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring the mixture constantly while breaking down the meat, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is no longer pink. Continue to cook at a medium boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan, for 30 minutes, or until much of the liquid has evaporated.
Place a sieve over a bowl. Place the meat in the sieve, allowing the liquid (fat and cooking juices) to drain briefly into the bowl; reserve the liquid. Transfer the meat to a separate medium bowl. Mix 4 tablespoons of the reserved liquid with 2 tablespoons of mashed potato. Incorporate the potato mixture into the meat. Season the meat with allspice, savory, if using, salt, and pepper. Adjust the seasonings as desired. Let cool before filling the pie crust or refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready to assemble the pie, reheat the meat to room temperature if refrigerated before filling the bottom pie crust.
Pie Dough
This recipe calls for baking powder, which is a bit unusual for a pie dough recipe, but promotes flakiness. Vegetable shortening is preferred over butter since it is neutral and does not interfere with the taste of the pork. The amount of water required to bring the dough together varies according to the existing moisture content of the flour. Add only what is necessary to form the dough into a ball.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into small cubes
6 to 10 tablespoons water
1 beaten egg for glazing
Preparation
Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl and mix well. Add the vegetable shortening to the flour and cut it with a pastry cutter or two knives until the fat pieces are pea-size and evenly distributed.
Make a well in the center of the flour/fat mixture. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix gently with two forks, lifting and gathering the mixture until it is mostly holding together. Do not overmix.
Gather the dough. Divide into two portions, one slightly larger than the other. Form each portion into a disk. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until well chilled, before rolling.
Assembling the Pie
Set the oven rack to the second-lowest position. Preheat the oven to 400⁰F.
Sprinkle the work surface and the rolling pin with flour. Roll the larger disk of dough into an even-thickness circle, large enough to take into account the depth of the pie plate and using enough flour on the work surface and the rolling pin to prevent sticking. Fold in half, place on the pie plate, and unfold. Fit the dough neatly into the plate. Trim the excess around the rim with a knife.
Roll the second disk using the same technique. This time, roll the dough so that it exceeds the diameter of the pie plate by one inch or so. Fill the bottom of the pie with the pork filling. Dab the rim of the pie bottom with water to allow the top to adhere during baking. Fold the top crust in half and place onto the pie.
Trim excess dough at the rim to one-half inch. Fold it under the bottom crust. Press the rim and flute as desired. Make a hole in the center of the pie crust to allow for the steam to escape during baking.
With the leftover trimmings, cut decorations and apply to the top crust, as desired.
Brush the top crust evenly with the beaten egg.
Bake at 400⁰ for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350⁰F, and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Yield: 1 pie, 4 to 6 servings.
Tip: The pie can be frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before you wish to eat it. Reheat on the middle rack in a 350⁰F oven for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out warm.
