My dad is French Canadian, and always made Cortons in the winter. Delicious on pancakes also. Great spread on toast in the AM. I am 67 years old and have been making it for years. We also use it for pork pie at Christmas. This recipe is similar to ours except we add celery and celery leaves to the mix. Excellent recipe folks! ***** Jean Stocker.

My entire ancestry is Canadian. I believe I am the last in my family to make The Family's recipe. The only difference with this recipe is that we have always used fresh ground pork butts due to the fat content because of the added flavor.

I have just made my 4th batch this season. I have eaten this every winter and I'm 69 years old.

Only change I would tell people using ground pork, use half & half instead of water, adds necessary fat additive. I still add a teaspoon of pork lard also. If you prefer small grind consistency, soak your ground pork in the milk for an hour! You will love results.

Finally to all who read this, IT IS CRETON!

Hi Bob, I have my Memere's recipe and I agree with you it is spelled Creton.

Tried this version vs. our family recipe handed down from my Grandemere in Canada. It is definitely easier but the old fashion way is best. We use whole pork butts. Cook them down covered with water in a stockpot for several hours, then hand grind with onions. Then cook the ground mixture with the juice from the stockpot and spices for a couple more hours until done. Bon appetit'!

That's how my family always did it. I agree. The old fashioned way is best. We eat it with ployes.

I grew up in Maine and just loved this corton and the meat pies too!!! Do you know where I can purchase this? I live in southern California.

tnx

I just came across a recipe in my collection in my Daddy's handwriting for this recipe. I have never heard this name as we always called it "dog food" because of the way it looked. I just today noticed my recipe is titled "Corton" and I had to look it up on the internet to see what it was! Here is his recipe: 2 or so pounds pork (lean and grind), onion and little water, salt and pepper. Do not cover - simmer, stir for 3 hours, it ends up not watery. Add 3/4 cut Leaf lard after 2nd hour. teaspon allspice, teaspoon cloves.

I want to make this as I haven't had it in decades...

Beryl from Utah described this dish to a tee by including the use of leaf lard that is the way my Grandmother always made it. The only problem is you cant buy leaf lard anymore so my Grandmother would use Crisco instead just as tasty. I love it cold on warm toast with mustard....

Is this the same as cretons?? I recognize the ingredients & directions, but not the name! :)

Got curious about this food from watching the Food Network on a Guy Fieri show, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives". A lady in a diner in Boston described the recipe and detail, and called it a "Corton", but if you look up this word on Wikipedia the listing is "Cretons". Fascinating! I never heard of this! Definitely have to try making some.

People the french call it "Creton" in Canada.

Actually my family from St. Aubert always called it 'corton' - always sounded like they were about to spit ;)

My family is from Quebec and Nova Scotia. Always Cretons and when speaking this word it does sound like you're clearing you throat as the C sounds more like a long K or maybe 2K's. Never pronounce the s.
Absolutely fond memories of my large 13 aunts and uncles getting together and have these in mini sandwiches. Always use the perfectly square loaves and cut from corner to corner.

In northern Maine, they call it corton. French Acadian.

Yes, it is the same.

Very fond memories of eating corton as a child. Cold corton on warm toast on a chilly fall morning :)

I grew up in Salem, Ma and Corton was a staple. There were several butcher shops and delis that had their own receipts. When my mom made Corton she purchased a fresh pork but bone and all. She would grind the meat and cook it down with the bone in the pot. The only other thing she did different form the other receipts here is that she always included Bay Leaves as one of the savory spices.

Corton spread on warm toast was a great treat.

I also grew up in Salem on Hawthorne Blvd. Been eating corton for 70 years now. Just made a batch yesterday. They still sell it in a few stores in Salem because my friend who still lives in Salem buys me some every once in a while. We had a family reunion one year and had about 8 different batches of corton from Maine, PEI and Canada. Yummy

Hi George, My name is Ernie LaBonte. I believe your the person I know from the old common in Salem. It's funny you mentioned the Hawthorne Hotel. On the eve of Thanksgiving Salem, Beverly football game we would go up on the roof of the hotel and chuck eggs on the Beverly cars as they ride by, I have many fond memories about those days.

Used to buy it at Steve's in Salem. Faye Estate and Nahant.

My French-Canadian grandmother always used a can of evaporated milk diluted with water to cover the ground pork and added a small amount of sage. Yum. It was a holiday breakfast favorite served on tast with poached eggs!

Grew up on corton. My mom made it during the holidays and we had it on soft rolls cold with mustard. Yum O!

I absolutely love Corton! I grew up eating it and my mother made the best. She used the pork butt. She would have the butcher pick one that had some fat on it (because it gave it extra flavor and helped hold it together) and grind it extra fine. My mom used allspice, cinnamon and clove in hers. It was fabulous. I'm so happy to have found the recipe because my mom now has Alzheimer's and none of our family knew exactly how to make it. I thought I remembered correctly, but this recipe confirms it!

My grandfather was in charge of making this dish. Now my Mom has taken the reins. She uses pork butt and the key ingredient is Leaf Lard. You can actually feel your blood thicken as you eat this delicious holiday spread

My mother has made this for over 60 years. She taught me, 1 pound ground pork. Half onion chopped. 1 tap per pound, cloves, cinnamon, salt, pepper. Start with a tsp. of butter, to start onions till translucent. Add pork and seasonings. Brown. Add water a little at a time so doesn't stick. Cook watching closely for about an hour adding water as needed. Amazingly awesome! Add diced potatoes to make toutierre (French meat pie filling).

Marci, so happy to see the spices you use, no allspice or nutmeg! My grandmother always made this.... and on Sunday mornings they were lined to buy some at our corner variety store, Simone & Marie's, in Lynn, MA, as Simone made it every Saturday for the after Mass crowd. Going to make some today!

I grew up in New Hampshire in a huge French-Canadian family. I was the biggest fan of Gorton. She passed away a few years ago and the recipe went with her. I am 66 now and this afternoon I am making my first pot of gorton. I looked at several recipes and for some reason had memories of allspice so I took the plunge. I did the right thing. It's a glorious afternoon. Thank you.

A quick follow up to yesterday. I chilled my Gorton overnight and found that it looked too rough not as smooth as I remember. I took out my potato masher, mashed for a minute and like magic - there It was. The taste was perfect it looked perfect and bottom line Mom would be giddy. thank you so much again

Yes, John, my mother told me about the potato masher 'trick'. She claimed to do this because the pork is not as fatty as it was years ago - also, for the same reason leave a bit more liquid in the finished product. And, by the way I do the masher several times while cooking...toward the end and usually again once it's done. By any chance do you also make salmon pie?

My Mem-mere always made corton. She always gave it to my Dad to put on sandwich bread. She made hers with pork shoulder. She has passed on now but I do have her recipe to keep my French-Canadian heritage alive!

Hi Heather,

My great grandmother always made French corton as she came from Canada. I always remember putting it on sandwich bread with mustard, so delicious. However she has passed along with her way of making it & now I'm looking to make some.

Could you share your recipe? Thank you.

Great Stuff. We grew up on it.