I had always wondered what tourtiere was like, and these lovely little hand pies from Simple Bites inspired me to add them to my holiday menu. Make them ahead and freeze if you wish, or bake right away. You can serve them with fruit chutney or a spiced apple sauce might be nice! This recipe makes a bunch so you can even tuck some in the freezer for a quick snack or a light lunch with some tossed salad, or to go with soup.
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 1/4 b ground pork
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup onion, chopped finely
1/4 cup celery, chopped finely
1/2 tsp black pepper
bay leaf
1/2 tsp savory
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt
1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
Pastry:
1 1/2 lbs puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Over medium heat in a heavy pan, bring the pork and water to boil, breaking apart so it’s not in a big clump. Stir in the celery, onion, pepper, bay leaf, savory, rosemary, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Turn the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. You can add more water if you need to. Make sure to lift the lid occasionally and give it a good stir, continuing to break the meat apart so you don’t have lots of lumps.
Once the meat is cooked, stir in the oats and continue to cook a few minutes longer. Set aside off the burner and allow the mixture to cool.
When the mixture is cool, roll out the puff pastry to a rectangle of about 21 x 18 inches. You want to make sure your counter is well floured when you do this, as puff pastry can be somewhat sticky and will make a mess if you don’t. Cut the dough into 3 x 3 inch squares. Dollop about 1 tbsp of filling into the center of each. Using a pastry brush, brush some of the beaten egg over the edge of one half of the square and fold over diagonally, pinching the sides so that you have a triangle of pastry encasing the meat. Set aside and continue with the remaining meat filling and pastry.
If you want to bake to pies right away, then brush with egg and chill them at least ½ hour on a baking sheet before popping them into a 375 F oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until browned. If you wish to freeze them instead, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. When they are completely solid, transfer them to a freezer bag. When you wish to bake, just brush with beaten egg and bake straight from the freezer in a 375F oven for about 20 minutes until browned.
Makes about 50 pies
Adapted from Simple Bites
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