This is a classic French Canadian Christmas eve dinner. Susan made this ahead of time, then served with salad or roast vegetables and crusty bread. Some of us eat it with ketchup, others with a chunky tomato chutney and a few like to add a kick with some hot sauce.

Ingredients:

PASTRY:

2 1/2 cups flour

pinch of salt

3/4 cup lard

1/4 cup cubed cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup ice water

FILLING:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1 whole chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 large potato (russet best) cooked and mashed, reserving some potato water

3-4 pieces of bacon chopped

1/2 cup beef bone broth (see recipe) or no sodium if using store bought

1 cup fresh chopped mixed herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage)

Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

1/2 tsp each nutmeg and ground cloves

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Egg wash (egg yolk whisked with 2 tsp water)

  Directions:

• Pastry: mix flour and salt in food processor, add lard and process about 10 buzzes, to fine cut. Add butter and while pulsing quickly pour the cold water in the food processor, til dough forms. Break dough lump in 2 equal pieces, flatten to saucer sized discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate about an hour.

• Meat Filling: heat cast iron to medium, add bacon and cook for a minute. As grease releases add onion and spices, stir and cook for another 3-4 minutes, then add garlic. Keep stirring for a minute so garlic doesn’t burn. Add beef, pork, bone broth, scramble up meat to break into small mince. Reduce to medium low, and let the whole thing simmer for 10 minutes. Next stir through the mashed potato, and simmer another 5 minutes or so. When most of the broth is absorbed add fresh herbs and maple syrup, then keep cooking until liquid is gone but mix is not dry. Remove from heat, spread the meat over a cookie sheet to cool.

• Preheat oven to 400 with the rack near the bottom of the oven.

• Roll dough out on floured surface to 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place 1 round in a 9 inch pie dish, there will be overhang. Put the other round on a plate and pop both in the refrigerator, 15-20 min.

• Scoop the filling into the pie, place the second dough on top and trim the excess dough to roughly 1/2 inch beyond pie pan. Fold under and crimp all the way around. Score the top of the pie with 2 or 3 vents, and lightly brush with the egg wash. Best to bake this pie on top of a cookie sheet, on the bottom tray of the over. 50-60 minutes. It might start to brown a bit more than you would like after 35-40 mins, if so place (not wrap) a piece of foil on top. Rest the pie 15-20 min before serving.