Every French-Canadian home serves a version of tourtiere during the holidays. Various thickeners (such as flour, crushed crackers, or even oats) can be used to bind the filling. Our version is made with flour, and the filling is enclosed in a tender biscuit crust. We decorated our pies with a maple-leaf-shaped cutout.*
For filling
1 lb lean ground pork
1 medium onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried savory, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For pastry
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup whole milk
Special equipment: a 3-inch round cookie cutter; a 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter (preferably maple*); 2 mini-muffin pans, each with 12 (1/8-cup) muffin cups
Accompaniment: spicy tomato cranberry preserves
Make filling:
Cook pork with onion, garlic, savory, salt, allspice, and pepper in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently and breaking up lumps with a fork, until pork is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool filling completely.
Make pastry while filling cools:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425*F.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in shortening and butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and stir with a fork just until a dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 10 to 12 times. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a rough 18-inch round (1/8 inch thick), dusting with just enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking. Cut out 24 rounds with 3-inch cutter and 24 leaves with leaf-shaped cutter. Make decorative lines on leaves with tip of a sharp paring knife.
Fit each round into a muffin cup and fill with a rounded tablespoon of filling. Arrange leaves on filling.
Bake pies until crusts are golden, 15 to 17 minutes. Lift pies out of muffin cups and transfer to a rack. Cool to warm, about 15 minutes.
Cooks’ notes:
• Filling can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Pies can be assembled and baked 6 hours ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, uncovered. Serve at room temperature or reheat in preheated 350*F oven until warm, about 15 minutes. Makes 24 hors d’oeuvres
Source: Gourmet, Photo: Quentin Bacon