Cretons Recipes Recipe Box Recipe Cards

CRETONS DE QUEBEC

Steps:

• Place pork in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.
• Drain off fat. Add milk, onion, garlic, mixed spice, salt and pepper. Continue simmering on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until milk evaporates. Let cool and serve.

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 DE CHEZ-NOUS!

Steps:

• Place pork fat cubes in a large heavy pan or Dutch oven over low heat and slowly pan-fry until the cubes render their lard and become browned and crisp, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the pork cracklings with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Stir ground pork, onions, salt, allspice, and black pepper in the Dutch oven with rendered fat and slowly pour in 2 cups boiling water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer with the pan partially covered until water has evaporated, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Place browned crackling cubes into a food grinder and coarsely grind; thoroughly stir the ground cracklings into the pork mixture. Simmer the mixture for 30 more minutes uncovered. Remove from heat and allow to cool until mixture can be handled, about 20 minutes. Grind the cretons mixture with the food grinder.
• Spoon about 1/4 cup of the mixture into small jars or lidded containers and cover with plastic wrap; push the wrap down onto the surface of the cretons to completely cover. Cover containers with lids and refrigerate or freeze until serving time. Let cretons come to room temperature before serving.

LIGHTER CRETONS

Steps:

• Place ground turkey, 1 cup water, onion, cloves, sage, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring turkey mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes, mashing ingredients occasionally with a spatula while cooking; remove from heat.
• Stir gelatin into remaining 1/2 cup water; stir gelatin mixture into turkey mixture. Transfer to a small container; refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.

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.