Christmas Recipes from Canada

This is a favourite meat pie recipe which French Canadians serve at Reveillon, a family celebration held after midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Other Canadians have come to enjoy it too.

• 1 lb. (450 grams) ground pork
• ¼ tsp. Sage
• 1 chopped onion
• ¼ tsp. Ground cloves
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp. Mace
• ½ cup water
• ¼ tsp. Black pepper
• ¼ - ½ cup bread crumbs
• ½ tsp. Salt

Place all but bread crumbs and pastry in a saucepan and bring to a boil for 20 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and add a few bread crumbs. Let stand 10 minutes. If the fat is not sufficiently absorbed add more bread crumbs.

* Traditionally this is made with ground pork, but our family has made it using a combination of 1/2 pork and 1/2 beef as well as a version substituting ground chicken or ground turkey.

Pastry crust:

• 4 ½ - 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup hot water
• 4 tsp. Baking powder
• 4 tsp. Lemon juice or vinegar
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 egg - well beaten
• 1 lb. Lard

Combine dry ingredients and add 1 ½ cup of the lard cutting it into the flour until it is mealy. Completely dissolve the rest of the lard in the hot water. Add egg and lemon juice. Mix until dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn into lightly floured bowl until all flour is blended. Wrap in wax paper; refrigerate 1 - 6 hours. Line pie pan or casserole dish with pastry and put in filling. Cover with crust. Bake at 450 degrees F. until golden brown.

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