ByWard Fries - Poutinerie, ByWard Market

08/15/2023

If I've learned NOTHING in the 12 years I've maintained this page, it's that you can never underestimate what your followers ask for the most. Honestly, over the last 4 days I have had no less than 250 (yeah, I counted) requests for the very first Tourtiere recipe I posted almost 12 years ago.

I've posted several different versions over the years, and everyone seems to have their own versions and variations - which is very cool, by the way - but this particular one has been liked over 5,000 times now and has garnered the highest amount of comments of all time. I grew up when this was a holiday staple dish, but more and more folks seem to enjoy this virtually year-round.

So, OK Les Repas de Mon Enfance Nation! You've asked for it. Here it is... My version.

Tourtière: Traditional French-Canadian Meat Pie

If you happened to spend Christmas Eve in Canada or New England — especially at my house in Maine when I was growing up — you might have been lucky enough to be invited to a festive dinner after midnight Mass. The feast is an old tradition from France called “reveillon”, and it was really something to look forward to after a long day of fasting.

The tourtière is a French-Canadian meat pie that originated in the province of Quebec in Canada as early as 1600. Most recipes for tourtière include ground pork and other ground meats. The tourtière is a traditional part of Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in Quebec, but the pie is also enjoyed at other times and throughout Canada and the upper Midwest and eastern United States. There is some debate about the origin of the name of the dish. Some believe that the dish is named after the now extinct passenger pigeons, called “tourtes,” that were cooked into the original pies. Others argue that the pie is named after the deep ceramic baking dish that families used to create the pies.

It is, however, agreed that by 1611, the word tourtière had come to refer to the pastry containing meat or fish that was cooked in this medium-deep, round or rectangular dish. There are arguments as well about what variations of the dish are the “original” or “authentic” pies.

Regional variations depend on what foods were available in the area and family recipes have been passed down and altered through the years.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 large baking potato
1 large onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 dash ground allspice
1/2 cup water
1 9 inch double crust pastry recipe or ready-made
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon paprika

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bake the potato until done, 30 - 45 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven. Peel and mash the potato.

2. Place the potato, ground pork, onion, spices and water in a large frying pan and simmer until very thick, for about one hour.

3. Meanwhile, prepare your pastry.

4. Line a deep-dish pie plate with pastry. Spoon in filling, spreading evenly. Cover with top crust.

5. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Cut steam vent. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F (serve warm) with your favorite condiment*

*So, the choice of condiment is always subject to deep debate among tourtiere “connoisseurs” – which is why I’ll stop short of making any personal recommendations.

I will say, however, that those most mentioned seem to be mustard, ketchup, butter, beef gravy, green tomato relish, pickled beets and even apple butter! This very traditional, savory meat pie is also good on its own. Whatever your preferences, I hope you will enjoy and try your hand at this recipe this holiday season. If you do, please post your results on this page!

07/23/2023

Tourtière de Charlevoix

Another from the Northern Region of Quebec

Ingredients

2 large potatoes
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dried sage
1 teaspoon of salt
3 large eggs
1 9” unbaked pie shell
1 9” unbaked pie crust

2 tablespoons oil

1 cup diced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

Bake 2 medium potatoes.

Cool, peel, grate and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute on medium in 2 Tbsp. oil - 1 cup diced onion, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic.

Cook for 2 minutes. Add: 1 lb. ground port, 1 lb. ground beef, 1 tsp. each ground cloves, dried thyme, dried sage and salt.

Use potato masher to break up the meat.

Cook 5 minutes. Blend potato with 3 beaten eggs.

Combine with meat.

Transfer to 9" unbaked pie shell.

Brush edge with egg-wash.

Top with another pie shell. Pinch edges to seal.

Brush top with egg-wash.

Cut 1/2" hole in center.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

07/21/2023

07/19/2023

Are you ready for this?

How about a Deep-Dish Tourtiere? WHAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!

Lac-Saint-Jean Tourtiere

This is one of the many variations of tourtiere that I want to introduce to you all. It comes from and is made in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Québec. This one is a deep-dish one that is typically baked in a Dutch Oven or other type of deep baking vessel and has none of the traditional spices most of you are familiar with. The meat for the filling can be beef and pork, sometimes with game such as hare, rabbit, partridge, moose or deer added. Other fowl such as chicken or turkey can be added as well. Remember, we are expanding our minds a little bit here…

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup lard, cold
6 to 7 tablespoons ice cold water
1/2 pound pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 pound veal shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 pound beef shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 ounces salt pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2-inch thick
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix well.

Add the shortening and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the water and let sit for 1 minute.

Using either a fork or your hands, carefully press the mixture together forming a soft ball.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface.

Cut the dough in half and roll the dough out on the floured surface into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick.

Using a meat grinder or an electric mixer fitted with a medium coarse die, grind the meat and fat together.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, onions, garlic, salt and pepper.

Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Place the potatoes in a medium bowl and cover with water, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Combine the meat and potatoes together and mix well.

Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.

Gently fold the circle of dough in half and then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing it, and unfold into a 9 by 2-inch deep-dish pie pan.

Spoon the meat mixture into the pie crust.

Lay the second pie crust over the meat mixture.

Crimp the edges and place in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F and continue to cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove from the oven and cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Slice the pie into individual servings.

Garnish with parsley.

07/06/2023

It's time for some bold moves to have the return of farmers to the ByWard Market. All markets are thriving except ByWard.

The number of farmers markets in the United States has grown rapidly in recent years, from just under 2,000 in 1994 to more than 8,600 markets

06/04/2023

♥️

Ciao.

♥️

05/26/2023

Well there it is, finally

05/18/2023

How popular is single-use REALLY in Canada? These numbers speak for themselves.

As a reuse company, our biggest challenge is changing old habits and encouraging environmentally-friendlier ways of living. Disposable food packaging has been used for sooo long that it's become commonplace in our society. With the state of our planet and with the Single-use Plastics Prohibition in place, it's time to move away from disposables altogether.

We're constantly improving our reusable container system to make it as effortless and affordable as possible for businesses and food fanatics. We take the "hard" out of "old habits die hard." Make the easy switch to Friendlier reusable containers by contacting us at [email protected] or by signing up for a business account through our website, friendlier.ca.

(2019 stats from Federal data)