Jeanne Benoit Cretons Food

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.

CRETONS

Steps:

• In a large sauce pan add all the ingredients except the bread crumbs.
• Using 2 knives mince the meat mixture as it beging to cook over medium heat.
• Cook for 1 hour stirring often and breaking up-you really want this minced fine.
• When the hour is up, add the bread crumbs and cook for 10 minutes more.
• Remove from heat, cool and place in the fridge in a clean container.

MME BENOIT'S TOURTIèRE

Steps:

• Place all ingredients except breadcrumbs and pastry in a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add a 3 or 4 spoonfuls of breadcrumbs.
• Let mixture stand for 10 minutes.
• If the fat is sufficiently absorbed by the breadcrumbs, do not add more. If not, add more crumbs in the same manner.
• Cool mixture and spoon into a pastry-lined pie plate.
• Cover with crust and bake at 400F until golden brown (follow directions for pie crust you chose).
• Serve hot.
• NOTE: Cooked tourtière may be frozen for 4 to 5 months and does not need to be thawed before reheating.
• To reheat, place your frozen tourtiere (covered in foil) in a medium oven and bake until a knife inserted in the center is hot when you pull it out.

EMERIL LAGASSE'S CRETON

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, add the pork and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
• Add the onions and garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the salt, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the milk and bread crumbs and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring to break up the meat.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is very tender and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Remove the lid and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and all the liquid is evaporated, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
• Transfer to a decorative bowl or several smaller ramekins, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled and firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Serve with thinly sliced French bread or toasted French bread croutons.

MOM'S FRENCH CANADIAN CRETONS

Steps:

• On medium high heat brown pork and turkey in the oil and olive oil mix. Using this mix the meat cooks at a higher temperature without burning the oil. While browning add onions and minced garlic; once browned add garlic powder, cloves, cinnamon, and sage, cover the top of meat mixture with salt (I prefer seasalt or kosher) and same, twice around the pot with pepper (preferrably fresh ground). Mix the meat and seasonings and add in boiling water to meat mixture, enough to cover the top. Bring to boil, lower to simmer about 3hrs. or until water is reduced to almost nothing. approximately half way through cooking process adjust your mixture with alspice, no more than a teaspoon should be required. I go by taste. Now to properly adjust the mixture for spreading purposes add in enough bread crumbs to absorb the remaining liquid in the pot. Using a hand blender puree meat mixture. Divide into containers and let cool before freezing or putting in fridge. yeilds 3-4lbs. Enjoy!