tortiereprint

**French Canadian Tortiere**
The following receipt makes two 8 inch tortieres. Serve tortiere with chili sauce or mild salsa, mashed potatoes and vegetable. Red wine is good with tortiere.

**The Special Pork Filling**
1 1/2 lb. lean ground pork 2 medium onions, chopped finely 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. each salt and savory 1/2 tsp. each allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg 1/4 tsp. each celery seed, cloves, pepper and thyme 1 medium potato, cooked and mashed	In a large, heavy skillet, cook the pork until no longer pink. Stir to break up the meat. Add onion, garlic and spices and cook covered for 15 minutes. Skim fat if any and simmer 15 minutes more to dry up some of the liquid. The mixture should be moist but not have much excess liquid on the bottom. Mix in mashed potato and allow to cool a bit while preparing the crust.

**The Pie Crust**
If you use your own receipt or a pie crust mix, try adding 2 tsp. thyme and 1 tsp ground mustard as in our receipt. *Ingredients* 3 cups Cake and Pastry flour 1/2 lb Crisco® shortening 1 tsp salt 2 tsp thyme 1 tsp ground mustard Ice cold water	Cut the Crisco into flour and salt using a pastry cutter until it is in small pieces 1 to 4 mm in diameter. Add just enough ice cold water, maybe 4 to 8 Tbsp to allow the pastry to hold together. Use immediately or refrigerate; don't let it warm up. Roll out on wax paper that has been dusted with flour. This crust is very tender and tends to tear. Wax paper helps getting it into the pie plate in one piece. Patches, if needed, can be made with scraps and "cemented" into place with milk.

**Assemble and Bake**
Make two 8 inch pies. Perhaps sprinkle the bottom of each pie shell with 2 Tbsp dry bread crumbs to absorb any extra moisture. Brush tops with a beaten egg for a shiny glaze as shown in the photo if desired. Bake at 425° F for 25 to 35 minutes or until nicely browned. Can be frozen and baked later.