Thanksgiving Recipes: French-Canadian Style

Salem Patch Reader Bald Bil's Corton: A French-Canadian Tradition 

This recipe is mine developed by trial and error over the years. Somehow it is a variation of my Memere's. She taught my mother and my aunts to make it. I don't believe anyone uses the same recipe, the variations are many. This is mine. 

Ingredients 

• 3 lbs pork butt, ground twice for texture (do not use lean or extra lean)
• 2 large Spanish onions
• 2 tsps sea salt
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbls freshly ground allspice
• 1-1/4 tsps freshly ground clove
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 clove garlic minced

Directions

• Mix meat with one diced onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook meat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until pink color is cooked out.  
• Cover with water to a depth of one inch. Bring to a boil for three minutes, lower heat and simmer for about two hours or until almost dry. 
• Add second onion after 90 minutes. Add spices as you go, not all at once.  
• Dispense in desired containers and cool. The fat will separate and allow you to spoon some off if you wish. 
• Serve on bread, toast or crackers. I like a little spicy mustard when I eat my corton. 

If you add some pork sausage, celery, bread crumbs or potato it will make a great chicken or turkey stuffing. 

As you learn what you like in your corton feel free to add or subtract from spice amounts. Cinnamon and ginger can always be added or substituted to change it up.

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Salem Patch Reader Renee Offers Her Canadian Recipe

This is a simple recipe that was in my family long before I was. I believe it was from my mother's French Canadian roots.

Ingredients 

•  2-3 lbs of ground pork
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 tbsps Bell Seasoning

Directions 

• In a large pot saute onion in a little butter/ margarine then add the pork breaking up into small pieces.
•  Mix in the Bell's Seasoning. Cover with water so water is about 2 inches over the pork. 
• Bring to a boil then cook on medium heat until water is almost evaporated but pork is still moist, stirring ocassionally.
• While pork is cooking peel and boil 5 lbs of potatoes.
•  Mash the potatoes when cooked and when pork is cooked, combine them together. Add more Bell's Seasoning and salt/pepper to taste. Enjoy!