Christmas Tourtiere

I discovered this recipe two years ago on David Lebovitz's website. It comes from the New Joy of Cooking, which I had conveniently given Hugh for Christmas. You can make your own crust, but I just buy a good quality crust (in the US, Marie Callender's work well). Now a Christmas tradition.

Christmas Tourtière

Crust suitable for savoury pie

1 pound (450g) ground beef
1 pound (450g) ground pork
1 large onion, diced
1 large russet potato, diced 
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or red chile powder
1 bay leaf
1 cup (250ml) beef or chicken stock, or water
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

In a Dutch oven, brown ground beef and pork over medium heat until it's browned and cooked through. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat to a plate or bowl, and drain from the pan all but 2 tablespoons of fat. (Any meaty juices that are in the pan should be reserved to add later.)

Add diced onion to the Dutch oven and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, salt, spices, and bay leaf, coating potatoes and onions with the spices. Stir the cooked beef and pork back into the pot along with the stock, and any reserved juices from the previous step.

Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice while cooking. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, remove the bay leaf, and cool to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator.

To assemble the tourtière, scrape the meat mixture into a dough lined pie pan, then drape a second disc of dough over the pie. Crimp the edges together and chill the pie for one hour, or freeze it for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Brush the egg yolk over the top of the pie dough, cut a hole in the center, and make any decorative marks you wish in the top with the tip of a sharp paring knife. Bake the pie until the top is golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.