Cretons

My Mom used to make cretons at home on a regular basis. She was quite famous for it, as my father used to sell it in his grocery store. She would make a big batch which not only contained ground pork, but quite a few slices of “couenne” which is literally pork skin with a good layer of fat on it. The color of the fat was pure white and melted slowly as she cooked her cretons, like a stew. For the occasion, she would use her big cast iron pot and cook the preparation at very low heath so it would not burn. The smell emanating throughout the house is forever anchored in my olfactory and childhood memory. Very similar to Rillette which is made with big pieces of pork, the only difference is that it is made with ground pork. Cooked slowly, the meat almost dissolves in the preparation making it easy to spread on toasts or crackers. This version, is of course healthier, as it doesn’t use as much fat and in order to maintain a good consistency, I use oatmeal which helps bind everything together. The taste however, is, just like a good Tourtiere; a mix of cinnamon, allspice and clove which brings me back to my roots ! Try it, you won’t be disappointed and your guests will taste something unique and so quintessentially Quebecois food.

INGREDIENTS
350 Gr. Ground pork (use medium-fat quality… you do need a little bit of fat for taste)
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Clove minced garlic
1 Medium size onion, finely minced
350 Ml. (1 1/2 Cup) Chicken broth
30 Gr. Rolled Oats
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Allspice
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Clove
Salt & Pepper to taste

PREPARATION
In a medium-size pot, melt the butter and saute the onions and garlic for about 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the ground pork and cook, mixing constantly, until the meat grains separate. Add the chicken broth and all the spices and cook for about 30 minutes at very low heat. After 30 minutes, add the oats, mix well and cook for another 30 minutes. Add a little more chicken broth if the mixture becomes too dry, as there should still be a little juice left in the pan. Let the mixture cool a little and using a hand-held mixer, mix everything together until you have a soft mixture. Do not overmix, as you still want to see the grain from the meat and don’t want to make a puree.
Let the preparation cool and let it sit in the fridge for at least a day. This will give a chance of all the spices to come together.
Serve on toasts, crackers or fresh baguette with. a slice of french cornichon. Mais oui !