I FOUND IT - TOUTIERE! FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

[cellboy]

I have been searching high and low for this French Canadian meat pie recipe that my mom has made since I can remember. I lost it on my disk for some reason, but have just found a copy, tonight, hidden in a recipe file. It is a bit different from the standard recipe. Friends and family that have tried it, in Canada, and in California, always ask my mom to make them one the next year. Now that she is 85, and having a hard time cooking, I think I will give it a try.

Originally this French Canadian specialty was prepared with passenger pigeons, or tourtes. Since the disappearance of these birds, pork or a mixture of different kinds of meats is used, each Quebec region having it's own preference. Tradition demands that the Tourtiere be served on Christmas eve. We eat it from Christmas through New Years. All you need with it is a side salad.

My mom made various ones for the week, meat, pork, or a mixture of both. She would grind the meat in the old grinder, which she bolted to the slide out cutting board; put the meat in the top, and crank away, to produce the ground pork or beef. She still has it. I will have to snatch that before the house sells.

So I guess I will brave it and make it. The only thing is that she said the Sage, or brand of Sage she had in Canada was different than in California? Made a big difference in taste. She used to have my aunt ship some from Quebec.
I am getting excited already! And I'm putting this recipe on disk, and a hard copy in my safe!

Comments

[grizzlyzone.livejournal.com]

RHETORICAL QUESTION: If I'm supposed to be part French Canadien, how come dishes like toutiere sound so unfamiliar?

[cellboy.livejournal.com]

Not sure.This dish goes back to I think the 1600-1700's. When I was in a Quebec City restaurant (oldest one in North America), this was one of the things served and a sampling of old French Canadian dishes. Not as good as Mom's but good.

[grizzlyzone.livejournal.com]

This dish goes back to I think the 1600-1700's.

Oddly enough, so do we. :)

[urbear]

Tourtière is pretty much the official national dish of Québec. It's one of the few things I miss about Montréal.

[cellboy.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. Yum! I actually would prefer this dish (I have been known to eat the whole pie in one seating) than turkey any day. But I am curious of how it would of tasted using passenger pigeon (Hummm. Where's my gun?)

[urbear]

You'd have to settle for regular roof rat rather than passenger pigeon, because they're extinct. Too many tourtière-lovers, I guess.

[cellboy.livejournal.com]

Roof rat? Nah. Maybe SOMA pigeons possibly? Or Snob Hill ones with taste.