Every fall back in CT, my grandmother and I would make lots of Tourtieres (French Canadian Pork Pies) together to keep in the freezer for special occasions throughout the year. I wrote a post about it a few years back, and shared our family recipe.
Since then I’ve gotten lots of requests from people for a low carb and gluten free Tourtiere recipe.
Well I finally got around to making a low carb and gluten free version that you and I can eat without going off plan. Don’t tell my grandma but Mr. Hungry thinks it’s even better than the original! Shhhh….
Unfortunately it was last year when I got this recipe down, and then it took me three tries to finally get some decent photos (even these had some cheese freckles because I mistakenly used pre-shredded cheese that didn’t melt correctly.) By the time I’d gotten photos I could use, the season had passed and I decided to hold off on posting my low carb Tourtiere recipe until this fall.
Well this morning I finally set out to write the post, but couldn’t find the recipe because I’d lost the notebook I wrote it in during our move to NY last spring. Which wouldn’t have been an issue if I’d written it in one of my large official recipe notebooks that I keep obsessive track of – those I have.
Buuuuuuuut sometimes I do dumb stuff like jot recipes down on random scraps of paper or one of the many tiny notebooks that I have scattered around the house…
Hi – my name is Mellissa and I’m a serial jotter.
I jot.
A lot.
I distinctly remember jotting this recipe down in a tiny notebook last fall, with plans to rewrite it in the official notebook later after I’d tried it a few times and perfected it.
Never happened.
And it would have been fine because I kept that notebook with my others most of the time – but then we packed up in a hurry and moved to NY unexpectedly, and you know how that goes…
So I just tore my house apart looking for the stupid tiny notebook, and finally thought I’d found it – YAY!
Except when I sat down at the computer to locate and type up the recipe… I realized it was the wrong tiny notebook!!
Holy roller coaster of emotions batman!
First: *MASSIVE RELIEF*
followed closely by…
*DISBELIEF AND HORROR*
followed closely by…
Curse you tiny notebooks – WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF YOU???
I rallied (read: drank more coffee) and put my thinking cap on (also coffee) and thought hard about where I would keep such a valuable, albeit tiny, treasure trove of blog fodder. Finally it hit me and I went to the only other place my brain might have thought made sense to put it while we were moving, and that was in my laptop bag.
The laptop bag itself was a challenge to locate, and I finally found it jammed underneath a bunch of junk on the floor of what I like to call the “closet of death” under the stairs. So named because some genius thought it would be a great idea to pound a bunch of long nails into the backs of the treads to hang stuff on, but if you stand up quickly and forget they are there…
Nice knowing you.
I could remove the nails, but it’s one of those things I never think of until I’m actually IN the closet of death, usually ransacking it with some urgency and no time to fool around pulling nails. So I always file it away in my brain (read: forget instantly) to get back to later (never) until the next time I need something desperately in there. I could always hang a hard hat on one of the nails and just wear it for safety when I rummage – but I probably won’t remember to do that either.
ANYHOO – I finally dug out the laptop bag and BOOM.
Jackpot.
I drank more coffee (you know, to celebrate) aaaaaand now we can finally get back to the low carb Tourtiere recipe that’s been over one year in the making.
If you’ve never had a Tourtiere it’s a meat pie typically made with ground pork, mashed potatoes or ritz crackers for filler, and fragrant herbs and spices like sage, allspice, cloves, etc.
It has a very distinct and comforting flavor and texture that I have loved since my childhood. My grandmother has always served hers with manzilla olives on the side, and their tangy brininess perfectly complements the savory pork pie.
For me that’s the only accompaniment a good Tourtiere needs (maybe a salad if you’re having it as a main meal rather than an appetizer,) but I have seen people peel off the top and load it up with ketchup.
If you try that at my house I will cut you. That is all.
For the crust I used a variation on the low carb crust for my low carb chicken pot pie. That one uses cheddar cheese in it but I didn’t want a strong cheese flavor in this – so I substituted mozzarella. It works great and tastes amazing, but if you don’t get it fully incorporated it will cause cheese freckles in the dough as seen above.
For that reason I recommend using a block of full fat mozzarella that you grate yourself, rather than the pre-shredded stuff which is coated with starch and won’t melt right.
Even with the cheese, this – like most gluten free pie crust recipes, is on the fragile side. It’s a pain to work with but the results are worth it. That being said if you have a go-to low carb and/or gluten free pie crust recipe that you like, then you can absolutely go with that for this recipe.
To make the Tourtiere filling low carb I used pureed cauliflower in place of the traditional mashed potatoes that my grandmother uses. I wasn’t sure how it would work out when I first tried it, but the slight sweetness of the cauliflower actually adds a depth of flavor that the potato-based pork pie doesn’t have. It’s fantastic!
Mr. Hungry, a sworn hater of cauliflower LOVES this filling and that is a miracle in itself.
Together, the crust and meat filling combine to make a truly comforting and sublime flavor and texture that is sure to be a hit with the entire family!
It’s almost worth waiting the whole year for!
Print
Tourtieres (Canadian Pork Pie) – Low Carb & Gluten Free
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This low carb and gluten free version of the traditional Tourtiere or Canadian Pork Pie tastes just as good as the real thing! Keto, Atkins and Paleo friendly!
Ingredients
For the pie crust (makes two 9 inch rounds):
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg
For the pork filling:
- 2 lbs raw ground pork
- 1/3 cup raw onion, pureed in a blender or magic bullet
- 1/2 cup water
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 Tbsp ground sage
- 2 cups cooked cauliflower
- 2 Tbsp butter
Instructions
To make the pie crust:
- Combine the dry ingredients together and mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl, mash the butter and cheese together with a fork until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and use a fork or pastry cutter to mash it together until fully incorporated into little pea sized lumps. Add the egg and stir until a dough forms. Divide the crust into 2 balls of equal shape and chill for ten minutes before rolling out for your pie.
To make the pork filling:
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan add the meat, salt, onion puree and water. The water helps the meat stay soft and not cook in large, tough chunks. Cook it over medium heat for about 15 minutes (or until fully cooked and most of the water has evaporated) and stir it to make sure it doesn’t brown and that there are no large chunks of meat.
- Puree the cooked cauliflower in a blender or magic bullet – you should have about 1 cup of puree.
- Combine the meat, cauliflower puree, butter and spices and mix thoroughly. Taste the mixture and adjust salt and pepper accordingly.
- Your filling is now ready to use so get to rolling out your crust, filling the pie with the mixture, covering and crimping it all the way around. Then cut some vents in the top for the steam to rise out.
- When we bake these out of the freezer it takes about an hour at 350 degrees. If you are baking them unfrozen, probably about 40 minutes. Since the filling is fully cooked, it’s really about getting the crust a nice golden brown so use your discretion.
- Serve warm with green olives.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per slice: 485 calories, 41g fat, 4g net carbs, 29g protein
- Category: Low Carb Main Dish or Appetizer
- Cuisine: French
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Kate says
I’m pretty sure you have to make a deal with an actual demon to work with this pie dough well :P There was a lot of in and out of the freezer, and a lot of cursing. I mean I get it, it’s basically held together with fat. A touch too warm and it rips. Too cold and it breaks into shards. There’s no gluten so there’s no stretch. It’s gonna be rough. Fair warning!
Two things I would have done different. 1.5tsp salt was over seasoned. I’m on a high sodium diet, but dang! So start with 3/4 tsp and go from there.
Second, the crust bottom really needs a par bake. Once done the bottom was mostly a soggy mess- was no hope of it holding together (until it’s chilled and re-solidifies), and you completely miss out on that crispy delicious flavor that you worked so hard to get with cutting in the butter.
Also did cook the onion until soft before I added the water and meat. I drained the pork before adding the spices and butter. The water was gone but it was swimming in fat. That would have made the filling a soup! So just FYI once the water is done and the fat renders, deal with that before adding the spices. I did have about a cup of leftover filling once filling the pie to the top, just FYI.
That all being said, the crispy top crust really is delicious! And the meat flavor is wonderful. It reminds me of the pastry puff rolled Scottish Sausage that you could get at Irish and Scottish festivals- which I was always so excited for! So while this recipe has its hitches, it’s still delicious!
★★★★
Becky says
Oh man!!!! This was sooooooo good!! I’m so glad I finally gave it a try. The flavor is fantastic!! The perfect blend of spices (at least in my opinion). I’ve been Keto/Low Carb for over 2 years and I have made a lot of dough recipes. The most common being fat head dough. This dough/crust beats that hands down!! It’s actually flaky! I was seriously impressed. I’ll be using this as my pie crust for all of my pies from now on. After seeing all of the comments about the dough being impossible to get off the parchment, I sprayed some avocado oil on both sheets of parchment and spread it all over before I rolled out the dough. The rolled dough came off perfect. No problems at all! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe and all the other great recipes you make!
★★★★★
Subrosa says
I agree with the comment to brush the top crust with milk before baking. Also use chicken broth instead of water in the filling. I plan to make individual pies and only have a top crust to avoid the falling apart issue.
Pegi says
I want to make this for Christmas Eve dinner so thought I’d better do a trial run today. When I rolled the pastry for the bottom, it rolled fine but stuck like glue to the parchment and I had to patch and mash it to get it to cover the plate. However, I had a brainwave on how I should have done it. For the top piece, I rolled it out on the parchment but then put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. When I took it out, I carefully removed the parchment and it came off perfectly. It looks amazing! My husband says it looks just as good as my old gluten filled pie crusts, maybe better! The filling smells amazing. Can’t wait to eat it tonight but wanted to share my pastry hint right away.
★★★★★
Line Dozois says
Great trick to put crust in the freezer worked out great !!
Marlene says
You did not give temperature and time for baking. Only mentioned cooking from frozen. If you brushed milk or cream on the pastry before baking it would give it a nice glaze.
Vicky Weimer says
Just made this recipe for the first time tonight. I did tweak the spicing a little because I felt it was a tiny bit too sweet for my preference. Added a little cinnamon and a teaspoon of garlic paste.
I used my food processor to do the crust with and it blended up quite nicely, no freckles due to using pre-shredded cheese. I will probably add a tiny bit of garlic into the crust as well to make it more savory; it will do well for other pies (I’m thinking of doing a chicken pot pie next!)
★★★★★
Deirdre Holmes says
I have made this pie twice now and both times it turned out terrific. I am so excited about this pie crust, although not as pretty looking as yours, it was easy to make and by far the best Low Carb crust I’ve made. I’ve been doing LC for almost 4 years now and just about given up on ever having a pie crust that resembled real pie! I have also used this crust to do chicken pot pies and am going to use it tonight for a steak pie. Thank you again, this one is a real keeper.
Heather Jones says
Very excited to see this recipe. Looking forward to trying it. I don’t suppose that you also have a low carb HP sauce? LC Bisto imitation? ;-)
Kimberly says
So awesome to find this recipe! I grew up eating this at Christmas every year with my French Canadian mother and made it the old -fashioned glutinous way for years. I look forward to trying this version! Thanks for a fantastic blog!!!
Connie says
The crust was a total failure. It couldn’t be lifted/moved after rolling out the dough–even after it had sat an hour in the fridge. The filling was on the salty side (didn’t add any more than specified). And, while the flavors were ultimately not terrible, there was no way this thing held together like a serving of pie. Personally, I wouldn’t post a recipe that doesn’t produce a result as described in its title. Sad pork pie. :(
★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
The crust is temperamental but rolled in parchment it’s not impossible to work with – also I said to chill it ten minutes, not an hour, which would solidify the cheese and make it even more hard and crumbly instead of pliable. I’ve made this multiple times and it’s always delicious, as have others. While I’m sorry that you didn’t have good results, I stand behind the recipe as solid.
Connie says
Chilled initially for 10 mins, then rolled out on parchment. It couldn’t be lifted/transferred with either a rolling pin or a bench scraper, always employing the gentlest lifting. Chilling after rolling was only an attempt to “save” it, and is a standard technique for high-fat ratio doughs. Later, I just pressed it into the pie plate, both bottom and top layers. It baked O.K. Delicious is certainly a matter of opinion, in any case. I can see just by your photos of a slice that the crumbling and lack of stability are issues.
Line says
I just made this recipe it is very good. It is very similar to original quebec tourtière. Thanks for your recipe.
Ange says
Oh. My. God. I’ve loved your recipes for years and didn’t see this recipe until just now. Both of my parents are of French-Canadian descent, and I always enjoyed creton/gorton and these pies the most at holidays.
A tip for the pork – pork used to be fattier until they bred them to be an alternative in chicken. To counteract this (and make the pork stick together better and taste more delicious), I add reserved bacon fat to my pork when I’m making the base spread. Although, I guess it doesn’t matter that much when you’re making the pie. :)
Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’m always on board with adding bacon Ange – thanks for the tip!!! :)
Rita Clarke says
I’m so happy right now! My father made tourtieres every year for Christmas. My sister has carried on the tradition. With me be gluten sensitive, it’s been hard finding a good crust. Now that I’m looking into keto, I thought that I would never be able to have this again! Our filling is a little different but I was shooting for the crust mainly. Thank you again! I can’t wait to try this!
Kathy says
First, not only did I love the recipe, I LOVED your writing…this was the most amusing blog entry I have read, and I could definitely identify with your range of emotions losing and ultimately finding the recipe. The cartoons are delightful.
I am not French Canadian, but Christmas Eve tourtiere is as Canadian as butter tarts and Nanaimo squares, so it has had pride of place in our home. We have always eaten it with home made chile sauce, not olives, but since olives are low carb, another tradition has begun. The flavour of the meat is lovely, and the crust worked beautifully. I used a full fat Mozzarella, grated fine, but got those little freckles when it was baked, as did yours. I actually find this charming, and adds to the home made look. There is nothing worse than going to the trouble to make something from scratch and have it look like it came from the grocery store.
My only comment about the filling is that it did not slice neatly…do you think adding a beaten egg before baking might remedy this?
Many, many thanks for this delicious recipe. I hope that if you made one for your family this year it was as well received as mine.
Kathy says
Addendum: After the leftovers spent a night in the fridge the pie sliced neatly and the pastry didn’t suffer too much from reheating each portion in the microwave. My husband wants me to use this pastry to make a blueberry pie…Oh, how he misses blueberry pie!
Ann Claire says
Wow the filling is fabulous!!!Authentic flavour! The crust was absolute nightmare, though. I rolled it between parchment but it refused to peel off, very tender. I ended up taking 2/3 of the pastry and finger pressed it in the pan, and rolled out a much smaller circle for the top crust, leaving 1/2 open all around the edge. I hope it bakes it well, as it is for my Quebec friend’s birthday!
★★★
Carolyn says
I just made a high carb version. Dh had the ketchup out, too. The spices are crucial to this and yours sound perfect. Anxious to make this LC friendly. Thanks…
Marilyn says
I’m going to try this soon. My French Canadian Grandmother made this every Christmas Eve when I was a child and we would go to her house and eat it after Midnight Mass. It was a little heavy for so late at night, but we all gobbled it up and slept like babies. Great memory.
Mark Parrott says
This looks gorgeous. I’m in the UK & our pork pies are completely different (& far too rich for me) but this looks great. Talking of ketchup, I may have a similar problem with my wife. She likes brown sauce (it’s a northern thing) & I know she will smother the pie in this awful stuff.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hope it’s a hit with you and the wife Mark, I’ll try not to think too much about how she’s defiling it with brown sauce! ?
Danielle @ From Girlie to Nerdy says
Just made this for dinner and it was FANTASTIC! I gave my hubby the stabby eyes for inquiring about ketchup usage ;)
★★★★★
Deb says
This may be a stupid question, but do you put a crust on the bottom of the pie or is this for 2 pies?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes Deb, it’s a two crust pie!
Julie says
I made this last night and it was fabulous. I had a bit of a problem with rolling out the crust and it sticking to the rolling pin, even with lots of almond flour on my rolling surface – any tips? It tasted great! My husband especially liked it. Definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
I roll it between two sheets of parchment paper Julie and it avoids the sticking problem – then you just peel the parchment off the top – flip it onto the pie plate and peel the parchment off the other side slowly and you’re done!
debbie florio says
I really enjoyed this dish, and as suggested the olives were perfect
with it, The meat filling had a creamy, decadent quality that I miss in low carb eating I didn’t have a deep dish pie pan on hand so I decided to make individual ramekins topped with the crust. The crust was by far the best low carb crust I have ever eaten. It came out of the oven beautifully brown and lightly crunchy. When I nuked a leftover ramekin the next day the crust wasn’t crunchy as it was right out of the oven, but it had a little flakiness to it.
★★★★★
Beth F says
I have never been very good at pie crust. In fact, I think it is honest to say I am the worst at pie crust. I mean, they taste OK, but nothing to write home about, and they look atrocious. My pie crust end up looking like patchwork quilts. So, your pretty pie crusts always intimidate me. But, I may be willing to sacrifice 2 cups of almond flour and give it a whirl for this pie. It looks delicious.
Corey says
Amazing. My entire family loved this. This is a very simple recipe that tastes really special. My crust looked nothing like your lovely photogenic crust but tasted just wonderful and I am hopeful I can perfect it with time. I am going to make this again for Christmas Eve. Thanks so very much for sharing.
★★★★★
Dita MacDonald says
Thanks for making this wonderful dish low carb. I think the cheese sprinkles in the crust look “tasty”.
★★★★★
Nancy kohout says
I’m so interested in the pie crust recipe. ..sounds like it could be used in many recipes. How many net carbs are in this pie crust.
Thanks for all you do.
Nancy