Cretons

[Odyssey]

You might call this DIY Spam, but once you try this you'll never go back to Spam, Klik or whatever.
We were given this recipe by a dear Quebecoise amie many years ago in the Beauce region south of Quebec City. Creton is a traditional French Canadian prepared meat recipe going back generations, and varies from family to family throughout Quebec, Atlantic Canada and New England.

1 lb ground medium lean pork
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c bread crumbs
1 c milk
salt & pepper to taste

Brown the ground pork in a large fry pan with a little oil and butter.
Add onion, garlic and cinnamon as the pork is gently browning.
Break up the pork in the pan and mix ingredients.
When the meat is browned and mixed (about 15 mins) add bread crumbs and milk.
The bread will absorb the milk. Mix well. Simmer on low for 1 hour.
Salt and pepper to taste. The liquid should evaporate and result in a pebbly ground mixture.
Finally let it cool.
When fully cooled place the Creton mixture into plastic containers to keep refrigerated.

Creton is delicious spread on toast for breakfast.
Other recipes call for shallots, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
Go ahead and experiment!

 

[Rippy]

I thought the thread was about cretins and assumed you were talking about me again. In some twisted way I was a little disappointed. Carry on.

 

[Odyssey]

This stuff is dangerous. Trust me. Once you make a small margarine tubful of it you'll go through it like a hot knife through...cretons.
You can buy this in many grocery stores in Quebec, but it's worth making yourself.
It's likely cretons comes from the original rillettes from the central and northern regions of France. Rillettes on fresh bread with a side salad and bottle of wine sitting outside a cafe in France is my idea of a perfect afternoon. Worth the plane ticket! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rillettes

 

[Iskweo]

This might work out if you canned it in small jars to take with you....imagine this with fresh bannock and some wine alongside a peaceful river or lake.....maybe I will try to make some, I could even use moose.
Thanks Brad, like I have nothing else to do. Maybe, as the only Anglo in our shop, I can see whose wife is making it and get a sample.

Christy

 

[Odyssey]

This might work out if you canned it in small jars to take with you....imagine this with fresh bannock and some wine alongside a peaceful river or lake.....maybe I will try to make some, I could even use moose.
Thanks Brad, like I have nothing else to do. Maybe, as the only Anglo in our shop, I can see whose wife is making it and get a sample.

Christy

Actually some recipes do call for game meats. Venison, moose and grouse. Some people add lard to the mixture if the meat is too lean, and then skim off the excess fat. Miranda made a batch while I wrote the post. The kitchen smells painfully good. It's also important to know that you shouldn't try to increase the proportions for larger quantities, as the milk and breadcrumbs will just make the whole thing a mess. Make small batches. It freezes well.
Another good traditional meat recipe is tourtiere. Everyone's heard of this I'm sure. It might actually be descended from English meat pies, in turn adopted from the Romans, adopted from the Greeks, adopted from the...I dunno. The French were perfecting meat pies in flaky pastry shells in the Middle Ages. In any case tourtiere's good, and likewise has different variations. But you better giddy up, cause it's traditionally eaten on Reveillon (Christmas Eve).

I know a certain guy up north married to a good French Canadienne who probably has her own secret family recipe. I wonder.

 

[Iskweo]

Hey yeah eh?
Ohhhhh yes, my friend JP used to bring a tourtiere and a LARGE sucre creme with him right about now and we would do a three way split on both with copious coffee for morning break. We were not much use for the balance of the morning.

 

[Canotrouge]

Yep these are pleasure of life, home made cretons, Lac St-Jean tourtière made with moose caribou grouse and hare, sugar pie.... Good bottle of wine or a stout to go with it, and glass of Knob Creek or Teeling to finish it off... Even better, if you have a friend or the talent to make an Old Fashion that is the best!!

 

[Odyssey]

M made enough for a few breakfasts, and put the rest in the freezer. Yum.

 

[memaquay]

Going through a very french night here, think I'm the only Anglo left standing....the Frenchies are just catching their second wind, I'm ready for bed.......anyway, I had a variation of that reipe tonight, except it was rolled up into sausage like rolls, very yummy. We will be having something called "spout" tomorrow, like canotrouge's tourtier, wild meat pie. Mostly moose, and partridge. Told my wife it wasn't effective without bunny, but she wouldn't let me shoot any this year, something about them being too cute. Anyway, Merry Christmas Kids!

 

[Odyssey]

Going through a very french night here, think I'm the only Anglo left standing....the Frenchies are just catching their second wind,

That was my experience for years. I learned to keep up, though I can't do that anymore. The food was traditional and hearty, though I never tried any game pies of any kind. The drink was quarts of beer. Many many quarts. Or gin mixed with l'eau d'erable. (sugar maple sap) That went down too easy! Maple syrup in our scrambled eggs for breakfast. Caribou (fortified wine around New Year's) was always home made, and was very fortified. I loved it outdoors walking/skiing/snowshoeing at night. Crazy fun when the snow felt like goose feathers and the stars were so bright and sharp we felt we could reach out and pluck them from the sky like sequins on a black velvet robe. I kept the caribou in wine skins. (I carried two.) Remember wine skins?
I had so much fun, immersed in so much French Canadien culture, from weekends at family sugar shacks to village festivals. It was all a privilege and one long party. I'm partied out but still miss it all.