Cretons

December 29, 2018 2 Comments

Cretons is a traditional French-Canadian pork spread. It’s usually served on toast as part of a traditional Quebec breakfast. It’s also served an appetizer and it’s really delicious.

My mother-in-law, Marrianna, came across this cretons recipe in the 1981 December edition Canadian Living Magazine. She made it recently and we got to sample it when we visited at Christmas time. It’s really good!

Marrianna has kept some of her favourite cooking magazines over the years and I’m so glad. I had such a good time looking through some of the really old ones and talking recipes with her.

I too made the recipe from the 1981 magazine and then I made it a second time with a few changes to the ingredients and the method. I think it’s even better than the already delicious original recipe.

It would be a great appetizer for any dinner party along with some cheese, fruit and vegetables. You can serve it hot or cold. Eli and my father-in-law prefer it warm, but I think I prefer it cold. Either way, it’s very yummy.

This recipe makes more than an appetizer’s serving, so you can enjoy it the next day for breakfast with some eggs or just in a bun for lunch. I’ll bet it would taste really good with cranberry sauce, but I haven’t tested that theory yet.

5 from 1 vote
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Cretons
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 

Pork spread, potted pork, pork pate.

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: French
Keyword: cretons, pork pate, potted pork
Servings: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 pound lean ground pork, or 4.5 kilos
  • 1 onion, chopped finely
  • 2 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground sage or dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp ground clove
  • 1 1/4 cup 2% milk
  • 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
Instructions

  1. In a sauce pan, combine the pork, onions, garlic, salt and spices. Cook on low heat for a couple of minutes, or until half of the pork isn’t pink anymore. 

  2. Remove some of the fatty liquid with a spoon or a ladle. This step is optional, but I usually do this.

  3. Add the milk and stir. Cover with a lid. 

  4. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes so that the ingredients don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

  5. Add the bread crumbs. Stir. Cover with a lid. 

  6. Allow the ingredients to simmer on low heat for another 30 minutes. Stir every 5 to 10 minutes. 

  7. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate. 

2 thoughts on “Cretons”

  1. Thank you Rosie for the mention ! Your presentation beats mine and I ‘m very pleased you enjoyed it. Love to you both. Marrianna

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