French Canadian Meat Pie (Tourtiere)

Tourtiere: A French-Canadian Meat Pie

ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground pork
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried savory
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Pinch cinnamon
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)

instructions:

How to cook Tourtiere: A French-Canadian Meat Pie

1. In a large, heavy frying pan, over medium heat, add pork and water, and heat to boiling point. 
2. Add onion, celery, pepper, savory, rosemary, nutmeg and cinnamon. 
3. Cook, covered, over low heat for one and a half hours, adding more water if the mixture dries out.
4. When the mixture is ready, season with salt to taste. 
5. Stir in rolled oats and cook, stirring, for two to five minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 425 F.
7. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry. When the meat mixture has completely cooled down, spoon it into the pie shell and cover it with the remaining pastry. Trim pastry, seal the edges and cut steam vents in the top of the crust. Decorate with pastry cutouts as desired. Bake in the preheated oven (at 425 F) for 15 minutes. Then, reduce heat to 375 F, and bake another 25 minutes — or until crust is golden.
8. Egg Wash five minutes before removing from oven, optional.