Tourtière is a Québecois holiday tradition that combines ground pork and beef with potatoes, onions, and warming spices, all enveloped in a buttery pie crust. Here’s a quick shot of mine fresh from the oven on Christmas Eve.

My favorite recipe comes from Rita Dube, former executive director of the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston, Maine:

• 2 lbs ground pork
• ¾ lb ground beef
• 3 large potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp.nutmeg
• ½ tsp.cloves
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 2 9-inch double deep dish pie crusts 

Cook onions in butter until clear. Add meats and cook until lightly browned. Cover slightly with water and cook over low heat until most water is absorbed. Drain all remaining fat and liquids. Add spices and mix thoroughly. Add mashed potatoes until everything is thoroughly blended. Fill the pie plates with mixture. 

Cover pies with crust, pinch edges, cut steam vents with fork and baste with milk. 

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve Warm.