- Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the ground pork and cold water, and bring to a boil.
- Add the remaining filling ingredients except for the egg.
- Cover and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Adjust seasoning if needed, remove bay leaves, and set in the fridge to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Mix with butter until crumbly in texture (see chef's secret).
- Add cold water and mix to form dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- On a floured work surface, roll out 4 circles of dough.
- Line 2 pie pans with a circle of dough, and then fill with the chilled meat mixture (500 mL or 2 cups per tourtière).
- Brush the outer edges with the egg wash.
- Top each tourtière with a circle of dough and seal the edges.
- Slice a few steam vents in the top of the crust. Freeze or refrigerate for 30 minutes, and then brush again with the egg wash.
- Bake in a 220°C (425°F) oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 200°C (400°F) and bake for 30 more minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Chef’s secret
Minimal handling of the dough will result in a tender crust. Imagine that your fingers are feathers, gently mixing the dough. Handle the dough just enough to mix it and roll it out. Excess handling further develops the gluten contained in the flour and makes the tourtière crust tough.