Nana's Acadian Meat Pies

Pin It

This is my Nana's recipe for Acadian Meat Pies.

Now, they do not look like Nova Scotia Acadian meat pies that I've seen 
(Nova Scotian Acadian pies look more like Poutine Rapée... like "real" pies). 
Some call them "tortières" or "pâtés" depending on where your Acadian descendants lived and worked.

Nana's meat pies are of the Northern New Brunswick turnover variety and are best served on Christmas Eve for "le Réveillion de Noël" with dry mashed potatoes and frozen vegetables, while balancing your plate on your knee and waiting for Santa to arrive. 

My mouth waters just thinking about it.

So, to make Nana's Acadian Meat Pies in the spirit intended (i.e. enough to last the whole Christmas Season, feed families upon families, and fill that longing you've been waiting a year to fill), set aside two days. 

I usually end up with at least 50 pies, and sometimes more.

First Day:  Meat Filling

(about 3+ hours from start to finish, plus a night for cooling)

Ingredients

Onion 2 cups

Pork 7-8 lbs

Salt (to taste, but likely lots)

Pepper (to taste)

Summer Savory (loads!)

Water

Flour 1/2-1 cup

Christmas Music (specifically Dolly and Kenny and Boney M for good measure!)

Dice 2 cups of onion, and set aside.

Note:  If you need a second pot to hold all the meat, then double your onion portion (so you have 2 cups of onions per pot).

Cut the pork into small cubes (about 1 to 1 ½ inch cubes), as if you are preparing for a stew. 

I don’t touch raw meat. 

Eli takes care of this part for me.  

It’s his contribution to weeks of ready-made meals!  

Boneless pork chops (the thick ones) work well, as does a pork roast. 

 Put the pork into a pot.  I feel a little bit like the Swedish Chef when I say that!

Add the onions on top of the pork.

Add enough water to JUST cover the pork and onions. 
Maybe even a little less. 
Mix as best you can. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Remember that this is a lot of pork! 

More salt than you would usually use is alright for Acadian Meat Pies! 

Nana would never scrimp on salt, and she lived to 96 years.  

You can take it.

Completely cover the top of the pot with a layer of summer savory. 

Monique hooks me up with Canning NS’s best from Farmer John’s Herbs.  

Not to be confused with Farmer Herb’s Johns.  Oh, dear.

 Place the cover on the pot. 

Bring the pot to a boil under low heat. 

It is easy to burn, so be careful. 

At the beginning, you will think that you need to add more water but have faith and WAIT. 

The juice from the pork is just getting ready to come out! 

See? 

Stir occasionally.

Once it boils, reduce the heat (to “low”) and simmer (with the lid on) for SEVERAL hours until the meat is VERY tender. 

Keep checking the water level, and add as necessary. 

 You want to boil it with the water JUST over the meat. 

Operate with the least amount of water necessary, because you will be adding flour and water towards the end and you do not want to make it too watery.

Once the meat is cooked, take a potato masher, and while it is still on the heat mash the meat and onions. 

The old-style mashers with the swooshy zig zag (very technical description!) work better than the mini square pattern of the new ones.

Let the meat filling simmer for a little longer and prepare the flour and water mixture (like you are making gravy).

Add the flour and water mixture to the meat on the stove to thicken up the "gravy." 

Let it simmer and brown slightly.

It should be a VERY thick meat mixture.

It should be challenging to stir with a wooden spoon.

Remove from the heat and place in a cool place over night.  

You can put it in a fridge or safe place in an unheated garage in the winter… unless you live in Yellowknife, as you do not want it frozen for Pete’s sake! 

This will let the mixture thicken to a scooping consistency.

Second Day:  Meat Pies Baking... mmmm...

(a few hours, depnding on how much meat mixture you made!)

Ingredients

Flour (10 cups)

Salt (1 tsp)

Crisco Golden Shortening-- and NO substitute, according to Nana!  (1 lb)

Eggs (2)

Vinegar (2 tbsp)

Cold water (1 1/2 cups or more)

Preheat your oven to 400˚F. 

Cue the Christmas music...

Sift the flour and salt together.

Add the shortening with a pastry fork.

Continue with the pastry fork until there are little chunks "about the size of peas."

Mix the egg, vinegar and cold water in a separate bowl.

Whip it good.

Slowly add the liquids to the flour/shortening mixture with you hand until it forms a ball. 

You MAY need a little more water, depending on the humidity that day. 

I almost always do! 

In Yellowknife, you definitely do, as it is drier here than in the East where Acadian meat pies are traditionally made.

Take a fist full of dough out and form into a ball. 

Place on a floured surface and roll out into a circle.

Let's take a moment to admire the beautiful meat filling that has solidified over night.

YUM!

If there is a small layer of water on the top of the meat mixture and you can safely pour it off, go ahead. 

Otherwise, embrace what you have!

Scoop the meat mixture into the centre of the circle.

Then, fold over and pinch the edges.

You can usually make 20+ meat pies from one pot of meat depending on the size of your pies.

Cook on a cookie sheet for 35 minutes at 400˚F.

Check them at 30 minutes if this is your first time!

You can individually wrap the meat pies in tin foil, and place them in Ziploc bags to store in the freezer (I put 4-5 in each bag).

Pull them out, leave them in tin foil, and reheat at 400˚F for 40 minutes.

Monique helped me with this recipe the first time I tried it.

And, she learned it from the master.

Many aunts and cousins and cousins-in-law now make these every Christmas for our extended family, and I expect we always will.

Thanks, Nana!

(Oh, and if you need a PDF copy of the recipe, contact me.)