Reviewed: Oct. 6, 2011

I am of Quebecois heritage, and this recipe is really quite good. A few things I might suggest...This is a very old recipe, and the quality of our meats have changed dramatically since these recipes originated.Our pork is way too lean to make this recipe accurately. In order to reach the proper texture, taste, consistency, I added 1/2 cup of lard (yes,lard)to the ingredients.Pork fat is imperative if you want cretons to taste/look anything like they should.We also ate our cretons with more spice than this recipe calls for. 1/2 tsp ground clove, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon.Also make sure to add plenty of salt for seasoning..I highly recommend this recipe!

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Reviewer:

athinalev

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Fishkill, New York, USA

Reviewed: Aug. 31, 2011

This made my house smell soo delicious! I'm not sure if the texture is right (it is pretty crumbly) never having eaten it before, but it tastes great. My children were even saying how good it smelled. I should add that I left out the bread crumbs (by accident) and I added cinnamon to the start because a different recipe used it and I love cinnamon. I plan on making this again and think maybe the bread will give it a more spreadable consistancy.

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Reviewer:

Meara

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Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Long Island, New York, USA

Reviewed: Feb. 20, 2011

This reminds my husband of his days going to school in upstate New York. He loves it.

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2 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Theresa C

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Callahan, Florida, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 1, 2010

This recipe works well and tastes great warm but at refridge' temps is a little flat. Bumping up the seasoning would help. This and virtually all foods prepared hot but served cold, should taste a bit salty and over-spiced to have the desired result when cold. Now can anyone who grew up on Cretons tell me what the consistency of the final product should be? My first attempt is about as spreadable as cold Peanut Butter. Thanks...JJ

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Reviewer:

Chef Jim Jankoski

Cooking Level: Professional

Home Town: Piscataway, New Jersey, USA

Living In: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Oct. 26, 2009

Cretons are not the most flavorful of recipes but I like to make them more yummy by using 2 cloves are garlic and adding Parsley and dry minced green onion when they are done cooking. I also let them simmer for another hour or 2. When done, I put them in my food processor and then let them set in the fridge over night. They are great in the morning with butter on toast, with mustard and toast or regular bread for lunch, or on French baguettes alone or with butter or mustard.

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Reviewer:

Peachy76

Reviewed: Oct. 10, 2009

Thank you for this recipe, we are not french but my husbands neighbour was and use to make this and give him some and he LOVES it,the only thing i did different was to put it in the food processor so it was more like a spread... so i tried this and he said it was just as goos or better!!!!!

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3 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

tuckergirl88

Reviewed: Mar. 16, 2009

Great recipe,reminds me of home, easy to make with ingredients that everyone has on hand

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Reviewer:

SUSIEDRISCOLL

Reviewed: Jan. 29, 2009

You're going to have to constantly stir this the whole time to keep it from burning the bottom of your saucepan. Maybe using full fat ground pork instead of lean would have helped prevent that. It is tasty, but doesn't quite spread like a paté, but more similar to ground meat.

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Reviewer:

Darryl

Reviewed: Jan. 24, 2009

My mother-in-law makes this every Christmas. Her recipe is slightly different. She uses twice the ground pork (2 lbs). She also uses 3-5 slices of white bread (without the crusts) that she mixes with water to make a paste..she uses the bread paste instead of breadcrumbs and milk. Mmmm...what a treat!

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Reviewer:

rox

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Augusta, Georgia, USA

Living In: Cary, North Carolina, USA

Reviewed: Jan. 25, 2008

This is a very basic recipe, and if I were craving cretons and didn't have any availiable at the grocery's, I would make this one as a last resort, but I have a very similar recipe that uses evaporated milk instead of regular milk, unflavoured gelatin, and a lot less garlic. I use granulated garlic sparingly (about a teaspoon) instead of a real clove, because it's just too fragrant. I also find that using a half-porc, half-veal mixture for the meat makes it much more spreadable. I'll use lean veal and extra lean porc. After you are done cooking it, place it in the food processor for a few spins. About half of the creton varieties you will find at the grocery's have been food-processed. I enjoy them either way. Great on toast, baguette, but a really scrumptious treat is having it on a freshly baked croissant. Mmmm.

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