Cipaille

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Servings: 4-6

Keep warm this winter with your own version of this meat pie with French Canadian origins (pronounced “sea pie”). This meat pie didn’t contain seafood but was also often called a “sea pie,” because its meat was preserved with salt, which kept well on a sea voyage.To learn more, read Pass the Meat Pie.

Ingredients

½ cup of salted Pork belly

1 cup beef, cut in cubes

1 cup of lean pork, cut in cubes

1 cup chicken or turkey, cut in cubes

3 cups of potatoes, cut in cubes

¼ teaspoon of allspice or five-spice powder

2 minced onions

1 pie crust dough (see below)

salt & pepper to taste

Center dough

2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons of grease or butter

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 pinch of salt

1/3 cup of water (approx.)

Pie crust dough

2 cups of all-purpose flour

¾ cup vegetable fat (Crisco)

6 to 8 tablespoons of cold water (approx.)

1 egg

1 teaspoon of white vinegar

Pinch of salt

Directions

Mince the onion and add to a bowl with meat, onions and spices. Mix well and place in the fridge all night. In another bowl, mix all ingredients for the center dough except the water, with a fork or whisk. Add the water gradually, form a ball, wrap in saran wrap and place in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel the potatoes and cut in medium cubes. Using a cast iron Dutch oven (the result will be better), take the meat out of the fridge: Start with a layer of meat and place half of the potato cubes on top.
Cut the dough for the center in half (keep the other half in the freezer if you want to use it for another recipe). Roll out the dough for the center the size you need to cover the ingredients. Place the dough on top of your ingredients, add the rest of the meat and the rest of the potatoes.
For the pie crust dough, mix vinegar and water, add egg in vinegar-water and mix well.
In a bowl, mix flour and salt. Add vegetable fat and break fat with hand, amalgamate with flour. Progressively add egg mixture and mix well. Squeeze and work the dough until firm.
Form a ball. If you don’t use it right away, keep in refrigerator. Cut the pie crust dough for the top in half (keep the other half in the freezer if you want to use it for another recipe).Roll out the dough for the top of the pie, just a bit bigger than your pot. With a round-shaped instrument, make a 1-inch hole in the center of the dough. Place the dough on top.
Take about 2 cups of water and poor slowly in the center of hole until lightly overflow. (For more flavor, you can also use a chicken broth). Bake until boiling, then reduce to 250 degrees. Leave for approximately 3 to 4 hours, depending on your oven.