Tourtière is a savoury meat pie traditionally eaten around the holidays. The comforting pastry dates back to the French-Canadian colonies in the late 1700s and originates in Quebec. But where can pie lovers go when they have a hankering for one in Toronto? Chef Mark McEwan has the answer. The taste test master samples the city’s finest purveyors of this Québécois classic that are sure to impress and entice your gourmet guests this holiday season.
The Best Tourtière in Toronto
“I’m looking for a nice braise on the meat.” said Mark. “They’ve done a braise on this one, so it’s shredded, and that’s what gives it that nice moisture level.” He also enjoyed the buttery, yet light pastry on this tourtière.
Bannock, 401 Bay St., $25.
“This one is quite flavourful,” said Mark. “You can really taste all the Christmas spices here: cinnamon, star anise, clove.” He was very happy with the pastry on this pie but said the filling was a little too sweet.
Gerrard Street Bakery, 635 Gerrard St. E., $25
“This one is a little heavy-handed with sage. If you like sage, it’s a good thing,” said Mark upon his first bite. He really enjoyed the buttery texture of this pie and was happy to see potatoes in the meat mixture.
Ma Maison, 4243 Dundas St. W., $31.95
Mark liked the pastry on this pie and said the meat had a good moisture level, but he would have liked the meat to have been braised. “This is more just a grind that they’ve done,” Mark said.
Mabel’s, 2755 Dundas St. W., $29
This tourtière was the least traditional of the bunch, with a ground meat mixture, similar to a minced beef pie. “The pastry here is a little thick,” said Mark , looking for a lighter and flakier tourtière.
Flaky Tart, 711 Mt. Pleasant Rd., $27
