FRENCH CANADIAN MEAT PIE 
1 frozen pie crust (top and bottom)
1 lb ground pork
1/2 pound stew veal
1/2 teaspoon Accent or MSG*
1 medium-large Russet baked potato
1/2 lb stew beef
1 small onion
2 teaspoons allspice

Defrost crust according to package directions.

Brown the meat and onion in a skillet.

In a food processor, add all the meats and onion, baked potato, allspice, salt and pepper, MSG*. Pulse until all meat is finely chopped or to the desired texture (be careful not to overdo it else you will get baby food - just until meat is in very fine pieces).

In a 9 Inch round pie dish, put the bottom crust in and then put the meat mixture into it. Pack it firmly and top with 2nd pie crust. Brush top with egg wash for extra color and shine, if desired. Poke a few holes in the top crust to vent steam.

Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes.

Makes about 6-8 slices.

I like mine with Ketchup, but that is a big 'Faux pas' in France.

Bill's Note: MSG is optional but highly suggested. It may be bought in Asian markets. MSG is not bad for you as people say, and it occurs naturally in many foods such as tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Billions of people in Asia use it on a daily basis for the "Umami" taste it brings without any side effects.

Submitted by: Bill DiPanni

recipe reviews
French Canadian Meat Pie
   #190790
 Earl Tessimond (Massachusetts) says:
MSG! Good, bad? Chinese food uses it all the time. Worry more about the red dye they use to color food. It is made from BUG juice! Google it, you'll see. I make my own red coloring with beets! Google that too!
 #185764
 Rose (Florida) says:
Oh, come on you all! This is not a food forum for dietary issues. You have gotten off track. You are supposed to be reviewing the contributor's recipe. Don't be mincing on comments that are really immaterial to your using the recipe. Just leave out ingredient you do not prefer to use!
   #134198
 Tina (Connecticut) says:
Nice recipe! My only substitution here was with a traditional New England spice - Bell's Seasoning. This seasoning is a great combination of sage, rosemary, thyme, and a number of other mild herbs. This is a very traditional dish for me and I found this recipe to be quite good!
 #89924
 Beth (New York) says:
Cant wait to try this! Took forever for me to find a recipe like the "meat pie's" my grandma use to make every new years day!
 #70794
 Aileen (Ontario) says:
It's well known that MSG is not good for you. But if you dissect everything you eat, you wouldn't eat. MSG is a dangerous additive linked to many diseases including neurological ones. The author of the recipe should not make speculations on it's safety, he's definitely not a doctor - the writer should simply include it as part of his recipe and people can choose to use it or not.You're either aware and don't use it, or you go ahead and eat it, just as we take chances with other toxic additives.
Btw, if it is the same as salt, why not just use sea salt? No prob for people with salt issues - they should not use either one of these.
 #55463
 Rick Binkley (Ontario) says:
Billions of Asian people may use MSG - but my wife and many others are allergic to this product. That's why many products are now MSG free and that should be noted on your recipe.
 #23370
 Daniel (Florida) says:
MSG triggers the worst migraines in me. My wife gets even a worst reaction. Many people have MSG allergy and do not even know it. We have been brain-washed and now feel a need to enhance perfectly good foods. Reducing high-fructose and salt in our diet may give our taste buds a chance to taste food as it is. Let's deal away with the long list of artificial additives promoted by corporate America!
 #18346
 ANTI-MSG says:
Recipe is great but how dare you say MSG is not as bad for you as people say? Are you a doctor? MSG is bad for pretty much every part of your body, including arteries, heart, not to mention blood pressure. It can be fatal to heart patients and can cause your heart to beat irregularly. It can also cause extremely high blood pressure. You really should not make statements like these as you are only giving a recipe not health advice. There are plenty of good products out there that can be substituted for Accent. Do your health a favor and just use a little sea salt. Having had some of these health problems myself I just felt I needed to respond. Hopefully all who read this will stay away from MSG as it is not only as bad as what people say but WORSE.
 #20018
 Pro-Meat-Pie replies:
Thank you Bill for the great tasting meat-pie recipe, it was very good!

to Anti-MSG... "How dare you"? Isn't that a little mean-spirited?

Let me get this straight... we are eating a pie MADE OF MEAT and you are worrying about the health benefits of 1/2 teaspoon of MSG in a whole pie? And the guy even says it's optional... gosh.

"Are you a doctor?" The FDA articles review numerous safety assessments, which all conclude that MSG is safe when consumed at levels typically used in cooking and food manufacturing. FDA has found no evidence of any connections between MSG and serious long-term reactions. I guess the FDA is just a bunch of careless hacks...

I understand that some people are allergic to MSG, my wife is one of them, so I did not add MSG to this meat-pie myself. You don't have to use a recipe page as your platform for your own personal cause, and bully a person nice enough to put up their personal recipe... Please have some manners.
 #21220
 Rose (Michigan) replies:
Dear anti-msg person, Wake up and read. MSG contains less sodium than sea salt and much LESS is required to acheive the same taste. No more bashing, not nice.
   #90845
 Billy Dipanni (Rhode Island) replies:
ANTI-MSG is just a typical radical nut job. If you get headaches from MSG then don't eat Parmesan cheese or tomatoes, a half cup Parmesan grated contains about as much MSG as is in this pie. It is FDA approved for food use with little to no side effects. Some doctors have said that of the millions who say they are allergic to MSG, perhaps 1% may have some mild reactions... the other 99% it's just in their heads. Same goes for Gluten allergy... nearly 99% who say they have it, actually do not.
 #11449
 Sir Richard says:
The traditional topping in our family was molasses. I think it was a holdover from the lack of refrigeration and a way to cover the taste of tainted meat like most french recipes
 #9325
 Anonymous says:
You can also do 1 teaspoon allspice with 1/2 teaspoon sage and 1/2 teaspoon savory.... or 1 teaspoon savory or 1 teaspoon sage. I like the allspice and savory the best. You can also add a slice or two of white bread to mixture if it is not the taste you prefer (the white bread mellows it out)... sometimes instead of MSG I use 2 packs of "Washington's Brown Seasoning" which is made up of 90% MSG with garlic and onion flavor in it.
 #9322
 Jean Luc says:
This is close to the best I have ever had! It reminds me of Woonsocket Meat pies. I did not use the veal just pork and beef. Yum!

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