Tourtiere

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Use any crust recipe except sour cream pastry.

Pastry for two 9" pie crusts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ cups finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ pounds lean ground pork
1 cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Prepare the pastry as directed and chill the dough.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the pork and cook, mashing the meat down with a fork as you stir, until the pinkness is gone. Pour the contents of the skillet into a colander and drain off all fat. Return the meat to the skillet and stir in chicken broth, cinnamon, oregano, celery seed and cloves. Lower the heat and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. The mixture should be stiff but moist. Stir in the bread crumbs, salt, pepper and cornstarch and let the mixture cool.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out half the dough 1/8" thick and line a9" pie plate. Leave a ½" overhang. Spoon the cooled filling into the crust. Roll out the remaining dough. Moisten the rim of the bottom crust. Place the second round of dough on top, leaving a 1" overhang. Fold the edges under, press to seal and flute the rim. Make decorations with pastry scraps if you like. Brush the top of the pie with the egg-water mixture. Lay on any decorations and brush them with egg-water mixture. Cut a few slits in the crust for steam to escape.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 35 minutes more. After 20 minutes check the pie. If the top is browning too fast, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. If only the edges are browning fast, cover them with strips of foil.

Serving suggestion: Tourtiere is generally served at room temperature, but it's also delicious hot. To serve hot, remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. You can assemble the Tourtiere up to one day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before baking.