This French Canadian meat pie has been a favourite with the Lesley Stowe Fine Foods crew for years. A tradition at Christmas, our family has always served this dish on Christmas Eve with a good winter salad and some crusty bread. This tourtiere is great to have any winter night and if you make them ahead of time, they’re a quick and easy entertaining solution when a crowd suddenly appears: mini versions make great appetizers as well!

 Makes 2, 9-inch pies.

• 1 1/2 lb ground veal

• 1 1/2 lb ground pork

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 
1 onion finely chopped

• 4 roma tomatoes, canned, peeled
• 
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp savary
• 
1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 
1/2 tsp cloves, ground
• 
1 tsp sea salt
• 
1 cup bread crumbs

Pastry:

• 
5 cups flour

• 20 oz unsalted butter, cold cut into 1-inch cubes
• 
16 oz cream cheese block, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 
16 oz cheddar cheese, grated
• 
1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine the veal, pork, garlic, onion, tomatoes, Dijon and seasonings in a heavy deep sauté pan. Cook slowly over medium-low heat. This will take about 45 minutes. Drain the liquid. Cool, add the bread crumbs and taste for seasoning.

For the pastry, combine the flour, salt, butter and cream cheese in a bowl. Quickly work the butter and cream cheese into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingers until sand-like in texture. Add the cheddar cheese. If you have a food processor, pulse the processor on and off until you achieve this texture. Gather the dough up into a ball, cut in quarters, press into 4-inch discs and chill for a minimum of an hour. This dough can be frozen up to 1 month in advance.

Using a 9-inch metal quiche tart pan with a removable base, roll out the pastry and line the pan. Fill with half of the meat mixture. Roll out another disc of pastry for the top. Pinch the edges together and remove excess dough. Repeat for the second pie. Bake 45 to 60 minutes until pastry is golden.

Serve with chili sauce, chutney or ketchup.