Cretons Groton Recipes

CRETONS

Steps:

• Place the ground pork, milk, onion and garlic into a large saucepan. Season with salt, pepper, cloves and allspice. Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour, then stir in the bread crumbs. Cook for 10 more minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Transfer to a small container and keep refrigerated.

GORTON (FRENCH-CANADIAN PORK SPREAD)

Steps:

• Stir the pork fat, ground pork, onions, water, cloves, and nutmeg together in a large pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the pork is tender, at least 1 1/2 hours. Use a potato masher to mash the pork mixture every 15 minutes as it cooks.
• The longer you simmer the gorton, the better the flavor will be. Add water as needed to keep the mixture from boiling dry. When you're ready to stop cooking, let the liquid reduce as much as possible without letting it burn. Refrigerate the gorton overnight. Remove and discard the fat layer, or stir it into the meat for a creamier spread.

MY MOM'S CRETONS (AKA GORTON) AND TOURTIERE

Steps:

• If your meat is too lean, cut up 1/4-1/3 pound Salt Pork, and render into lardons. Remove the salt pork bits, then continue the recipe, omitting the salt. Do not use bacon for the extra fat, bacon is smoked. You can use Lard, 1-2 T, in a pinch.
• Put all ingredients into a large sauce pot, just covering by an inch with the water.
• Mix together.
• Simmer on low, stirring frequently for 3-4 hours.
• Add water as needed to keep moist and from sticking.
• After the allotted cooking time you should have simmered the mixture down till there is about an inch of combined fat and water.
• Taste to check the seasonings. If your spices are old, you may need to re-spice the mixture
• (with the same amounts), then cook out the raw taste a bit.
• Transfer to a bowl to cool, stirring to keep fat suspended in meat.
• Serve warm on toast, or cold for sandwiches.
• For Tourtiere mix the same mixture with 3 0r 4 mashed (dry) potatoes,
• allowing them to suck up the moisture.
• Allow to cool, and ladle into pre-pared pie crusts.
• Egg wash and bake to specifications.

CRETONS (GROTON)

Steps:

• In a large sauce pan, add all the ingredients except the bread crumbs.
• Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat mixture as it begins to cook over medium heat.
• Cook for at least 1 1/2 hours stirring often and breaking up the meat.
• The meat should be as fine as possible.
• When done, add the bread crumbs and cook for 15 minutes more.
• Remove from heat, and take out the cloves and bay leaves.
• Cool and place in small tin foil loaf pans.
• Wrap each pan well with plastic wrap and then tin foil.
• Keep in fridge or freeze.
• NOTE:.
• A suggestion has been offered to lessen the amount of breadcrumbs. Think about it before you commit to 1 1/2 cups.
• A layer of fat may coat the top; you can remove this as you use the spread.
• Spread on warm, unbuttered, toasted crusty bread. Yummy!