Tourtière (Quebec Pork Pie)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 pounds ground pork
• 3/4 cups cold water
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried savory
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• Pastry for one 9-inch pie
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. In a large pot, mix the ground pork with the cold water and bring to a boil, breaking apart any lumps in the meat. The mixture should be slightly wet, so add more water if necessary.
2. Add the vegetables and all the spices except for the salt. Cover the pot and cook on medium low heat for about an hour and 15 minutes. Lift the lid and stir often, adding more water if the meat looks too dry.
3. About 40 minutes into the cooking process, add the salt.
4. When the cooking time is up, add the rolled outs and stir for a minute or two. Now remove the bay leaf and let cool.
5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a pie pan with the pastry.
6. After the meat has cooled (it doesn't need to be room temperature, just lukewarm), pour it into the pie shell and brush the edge of the pastry with some of the beaten egg. Cover the pie with the rest of the pastry, trim, and crimp or roll the edges to seal. Cut slits in the top of the pie crust so it can vent while baking.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 and continue baking for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden.