Meat Pies - A Canadian Christmas Tradition

Meat pies have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.  Meat pies are a Acadian French tradition, a staple  from the east coast of Canada. The Quebec version, " tourtiere" , is a different version  of the French pie as  it uses ground pork , sometimes ground beef, along with other ingredients.  Some Acadian- French make it with rabbit as well, the French I knew did anyway,   I do not,  but, I have  tried it with rabbit and it is good.  Growing up in my Mother’s home, she used turkey ( or chicken) beef and pork and that is what I use today. Traditionally, Meat Pies are served around the holiday season.  In my house growing up, it was custom to have it for Christmas Eve or for breakfast on Christmas morning.  Some eat the pie cold or warmed, with gravy, cranberry sauce or even with  molasses over top.  When making meat pies, you don’t simple make one pie, you make several, 4-6 at a time and have them over the Winter months on chilly Winter evenings. The amount of pies depend on how much meat you cook.  It’s labor intensive but very much worth all the work.  I give them out for gifts at Christmas time , along with homemade jarred cranberry sauce, mustard pickles and harvest beets.  Friends who have not heard of them before are pleasantly surprised and enjoy them very much.

Here is my version of Meat Pie.  Nothing is measured, things are approximate.   Having a little more of one thing is not going to make a difference.  This time, I was able to get four fully stuffed pies.  For this recipe I used chickens.

2 -   3-5 lbs chickens or a turkey

1 -   5-6 lb beef,  chuck roast

1 -  5lb pork,  butt roast

 

In a large stock pot or pot, fill with water and submerge the chickens, you may need to do two separate pots if your pot is not large enough to hold the two chickens.  I keep the chickens whole., you can cut them up if you choose. In the same pot, chopped up two onions, add sea salt and cracked black pepper and 1 Tb of Summer Savory.  Summer Savory may be hard to come by  where you live but try to find it.  It's a unique herb, similar to savory, but better in taste. I order mine online from a Canadian food store.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer the chickens for about 2 hours.  To check if done, twist a chicken leg back, if it resists breaking, it's not done, or if you see blood running from bone.. not done.   The leg should break free from the rest of the chicken easily. this next step is important ***  DO NOT THROW OUT THE CHICKEN STOCK/BROTH.*** you will need it for the pies.

Cook the beef and pork at the same time, place the pork and beef in a roasting pan, season with grey sea salt and cracked black pepper.  I cover the bottom of the pan with beef stock.  Cook the pork and beef  on 375, for about 3 hours.

 

 

I put small chunks of potatoes in my meat pies, a chunky mash. Not a lot, maybe 3-4 potatoes for all the mixture.  So get the potatoes cooked, when done, set aside.

I have said this before, in my other recipes  - I DO NOT BAKE.  I have made homemade pie crusts before, but quite frankly, I don't have the patience for dough and buying a good pie crust is more practical for me.  But, have at it if you are inclined to make fresh pie crust.

When the meat is done. Let it cool before you start shredding and cutting up the meat. Any juices from the beef and pork pan,  add to the chicken stock pot. With the chickens, remove the skin and bones .  Do the same with the beef and pork.  On a flat surface.. put all the meat in front of you and chop up all the meat.  How big or small the pieces depends on how you like it.   When all the meat in combined,  place in a roasting pan or something big enough to hold all the meat, add about 2 tablespoons of Summer Savory ( I used dried).  Start off with less if you want and taste the mixture to get it where you want it.  Add sea salt and black pepper.  Again, after adding, taste the mixture to the right consistency of saltiness.  Start with a little, you can always add, but you can't take away.

Once you get the salt, pepper, summer savory mixed in.. add the potatoes.  This is where you add the meat stock.  There is no real way to measure this or to tell exactly how much to add.  This is the way I can tell when I have added enough.  With the meat all placed in pan/pot, start adding one cup of meat stock from the chicken pot.  After adding one cup, toss the meat in the stock to see if you need more. The way I can tell when there is enough stock/liquid is a put a handful of meat in my hand and squeeze ( not too tight)... the liquid should not drip from your hand but should be visible when you squeeze.  In the end... I think I used about 2 cups of broth.

 

In prepared pie start put the meat mixture into the trays.  I like my pies full.  Place the dough over top, seal edges.

The meat is fully cooked, so all you are doing is cooking the pie crust.  Cook pies until golden brown.  Approximately 30-45 minutes, in a 375 oven.  Ovens vary, so keep an eye on it.

Serve how you want.. start a tradition of your own.  Cranberry sauce is my favorite. I encourage you to try the molasses though :)

 

Enjoy ! Happy Holidays.

 

 

Chicken Barley Soup with Parsley Dumplings

What is better than a warm bowl of soup  on a chilly Winter's evening?  One that has dumplings !  It's strange for me to write Dumplings because I grew up knowing these fluffy pillows of flour as Doughboys.  Regardless of the name, nothing can warm  the tummy than this  creamy thick bowl of goodness.

Ingredients :  (for 2-3 people)

3 chicken drumstick

2 chicken breasts
3 can chicken broth
1 cup water

1/2 barley
1 tsp fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
2 celery stalk, chopped
2 large carrots, diced
12-14 baby red potatoes, quartered
1 Tb fresh garlic, minced

3 Tb fresh chopped Parsley

French Gray Sea Salt

Fresh Cracked Pepper

In a large pot, add chicken pieces and chicken broth, Bay Leaf and Barley Over medium high heat, cook chicken about 35-40 minutes until chciken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from pot. Set aside until the pieces cool off somewhat, enough so you can take of the meat from the bones.  Shred into bite size pieces.

To the pot add potatoes,  carrots, celery, thyme and parsley.  Cook for about 15 minutes. Add chicken back into the pot.  Reduce heat to a simmer.

*If the broth has reduced too much, you can add more chicken broth.


Meanwhile make the dumplings, this is what you will need :

1 cup flour
1 1/2 T Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 TB cold butter
1/4 milk
Parsley

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.  With a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into the flour mixture until crumbly, add the parsley.  Add the milk and blend all ingredients until it forms into a ball.  Pinch off each piece and form into 6 large balls.  With a spoon, lower the dumplings into the soup, cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the dumplings float and are big and fluffy. 

* check center for donesness is necessary.

Enjoy Every Bite !

Creamy Chicken and Mango with Linguine

This is a quick awesome pasta dish. When I lived in Ontario in the mid 90's I visited a tea house... I forget the name of the tea house but it is in the picturesque town of Elora. I had a pasta dish with chicken, mango, mint, cream, parmesan cheese. It was accompanied with a tomato basil bread that was sooo good that I couldn't possibly create myself. I remember the next day, after returning from this tea house I tried to recreate this pasta dish... it turned out tasting just like it. Here's my version of the recipe, I have been making it for about 15 years. This is a favorite of my Mom's, she makes it a lot as well.

2 persons.

Enough linguine for two people, salted water, cook al dente

Two boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size slices

2-3 TB olive oil

1 TB mince garlic

1 large mango or two smaller ones, skin removed and chopped into pieces

2 Tb butter

shaved fresh parmesan cheese, about 1/4 cup (or as much or little as you like)

about 1/2 cup or cream or more if needed (you can use half n'half...just not milk, too watery)

fresh chopped mint

Prepare pasta according to box.

In a pan, medium heat, saute chicken pieces in olive oil and when chicken is almost cooked, add garlic. About 7 minutes...when chicken in no longer pink.

To the same pan, add mango and cook 3-4 minutes until mango break down somewhat and the juices from the mango come out. I mash it with a fork if the mango isn't ripe enough.

Add the butter and cream. Sprinkle the cheese over the mango cream sauce and blend until cheese melts into the sauce making the sauce thicker.

Add the well drain pasta in the chicken mango mixture and coat the pasta well.

Plate it :

Place the Chicken mango pasta on the plate, sprinkle more shaved Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with the chopped mint. The mint adds a wonderful flavor to this dish... try not to omit it.

Serve and Enjoy !