Canadian National Dishes

Tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean

Tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean is a deep, slow-baked meat pie associated with Québec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. Unlike many shallower Québec meat pies made with ground filling, this regional style is commonly built with cubes of meat and potato, broth and a substantial pastry shell. Families vary the meats, seasoning, liquid and baking time. This home version uses pork and beef, rather than game, and is one practical variation rather than a single definitive formula.

Canadian National Dishes
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Golden deep pastry pie with a cut portion showing cubed meat and potatoes
Golden deep pastry pie with a cut portion showing cubed meat and potatoes
Prep 50 minutes
Cook 240 minutes
Total 1,030 minutes
Calories About 980 kcal per serving
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean

Tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean is a deep, slow-baked meat pie associated with Québec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. Unlike many shallower Québec meat pies made with ground filling, this regional style is commonly built with cubes of meat and potato, broth and a substantial pastry shell. Families vary the meats, seasoning, liquid and baking time. This home version uses pork and beef, rather than game, and is one practical variation rather than a single definitive formula.

Practical

Practical

  • Plan aheadMarinate the raw meat in a covered container in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Keep the pastry cold until assembly. The deep pie takes several hours to bake; the thermometer, not the clock, confirms the centre is cooked.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Filling

  • 700 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 700 g boneless beef chuck, cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 150 g streaky bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 180 g yellow onion, finely diced
  • 8 g fine salt
  • 3 g black pepper
  • 2 g dried thyme
  • 1 g ground allspice
  • 800 g Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes

Pastry and broth

  • 1.2 L low-sodium beef broth, warmed; keep extra hot broth available
  • 900 g butter pie pastry, divided into a larger base and a lid; keep chilled
Directions

Directions

Method

  1. Step 1In a large bowl, mix the pork, beef, bacon, onion, salt, pepper, thyme and allspice. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

  2. Step 2Keep the pastry chilled. Roll out a larger portion for the base and a second portion for the lid. Line the bottom and sides of a 5 L heavy oven-safe Dutch oven with the base, leaving a little overhang.

  3. Step 3Fold the cubed potatoes into the cold meat mixture. Layer the filling evenly in the pastry-lined pot. Pour in enough warm broth to come close to the top of the filling without overflowing; the full 1.2 L may not be needed.

  4. Step 4Cover with the pastry lid, seal and crimp the edges, then cut a 2 cm vent in the centre. Set the Dutch oven lid on loosely so steam can escape through the pastry vent.

  5. Step 5Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven to 150°C and bake covered for about 3 hours, checking after 2 hours. If the filling looks dry, carefully add hot broth through the vent. Uncover for the final 30 minutes at the lower temperature to brown the pastry.

  6. Step 6Insert an instant-read thermometer through the vent into several central spots in the filling. Pork and beef should reach at least 71°C. Rest the pie for 20 minutes so the broth settles, then cut into portions.

Practical

Practical

Serving

Serving: Serve with pickles, beet salad or green salad to balance the rich pastry and meat. The pie is filling, so cut modest portions and offer seconds.

Make-ahead

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers at or below 4°C. Use within 2–3 days and reheat to 74°C. Freeze portions for longer storage.

Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Serving sizeOne eighth of the pie
  • CaloriesAbout 980 kcal
  • CarbohydrateAbout 55 g
  • ProteinAbout 42 g
  • FatAbout 62 g
  • FibreAbout 4 g
  • SodiumAbout 1,000 mg

Rounded generic ingredient estimate. Pastry, bacon and broth vary by brand, and rendered fat retained in the pie affects the result. This is not a laboratory analysis or a product-label declaration.

Contains wheat and usually milk in butter pastry; check package labels for egg or other allergens. Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods, wash hands and surfaces after handling, and use clean utensils for the baked pie. Verify at least 71°C in the centre of the meat filling.

Resting and serving

Resting and serving

  • Rest the pie for 20 minutes before cutting so the broth can settle.
  • Serve hot with pickles, beet salad or a crisp green salad.