For anyone interested, you can order Mailhot’s Cretons here:
http://www.beansmeats.com/Mailhot%20Pork%20Creton.htm http://www.beansmeats.com/Mailhot%20Pork%20Creton.htm
 
 

Cretons is definately a French Canadian staple where they were known to use every piece of the pig.  ie.  head cheese, les oreille de Christ (Christ’s ears – which are deep fried jowls – usually served at Sugar Shack time), pig tails, ragout de boulettes et pattes de cochon (Meatball and porkhock stew) etc.  
My husband is French Canadian and my M-I-L makes creton which is from ground pork with spices and slow cooked.  I love it myself and have made it a couple of times with limited success.  I’m not familiar with Mailhot’s, but I’m sure there are several recipes outs there and I would recommend any by Jehane Benoit.  She was a famous Quebec cook and her recipes are very good with basic ingredients

quote:

Originally posted by blue heaven

Good Morning friends, I have to pick your brains on this next topic. My dear husband grew up in Lewiston Maine and tells me that in his family, for breakfast they would spread ground pork (kind of like ham spread) on toast with yellow mustard. He said it was called Mailhot’s Cretons and it was delicious. Has anyone ever heard or had anything like this?

Yes! I am from Lewiston, Maine also. Its a french thing I guess. I grew up with it on toast also, although we didnt put mustard on ours, it is the Creton. And Mailhots is the closest to taste as the stuff I grew up with here. I remember my memere boiling a pork shoulder, then getting out the metal, screw onto the table, meat grinder & grinding it up. Then she would cook it again & add spices to it. I know one of the spices was nutmeg, & they would pop it in the fridge. The only difference was that when it was homemade it had a layer of fat across the top that we would skim off. But its the BEST! So, yes your hubby is right & you should get him some if you can. I just had some for breakfast here today. lol
Have a great day!!! ~JD from Oxford St. Lewiston, Maine

quote:

Originally posted by blue heaven

Good Morning friends, I have to pick your brains on this next topic. My dear husband grew up in Lewiston Maine and tells me that in his family, for breakfast they would spread ground pork (kind of like ham spread) on toast with yellow mustard. He said it was called Mailhot’s Cretons and it was delicious. Has anyone ever heard or had anything like this?

Minus the breadcrumbs and some of the aromatics, these are identical to the country French preparation called rillettes.

Cretons is great. My grandmother made it, but only at the holidays. I’ve found Maillot’s brand at Market-Basket stores in NH and northern MA. Last time I bought it was at the Leominster store. It’s in the meat counter near the sausage. Maillot’s also makes a turkey cretons, meat pie and salmon pie. Market-Basket carries them all…..

This sounds very much like coutone. Also a French Canadian offering.
Chow Jim

This looks easy and good, I’ll try it myself.

Ummm…
I did a web search for "Cretons" and found this:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/polstrat/haccp/cretons/cretonsie.shtml
"Creton" is a culinary staple that many years ago, was largely consumed by the rural population in Quebec as a basic food.

…."delicious cooked meat preparation made in Qu�bec which is derived from lean cuts of pork meat which then are cooked slowly and incorporated with the ingredients of melted leaf fat. The mixture is then placed into moulds and is eaten in a similar fashion to potted meat". ….is consumed by either spreading it on toast for breakfast or lunch or in canap�s as an hors d’oeuvre.

Two Recipes below, most are similar with variations of cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg:

from RecipeSource :

Title: CRETONS
Categories: Meats
Yield: 6 servings

1 lb Minced Pork
1 c Dry bread crumbs
1 c Milk
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
1/2 ts Cloves
1/2 ts Cinnamon
1/2 c Grated onion

Place in sauce pan mix well, cover and cook over low
heat 1 hour.Stir once or twice during cooking time.
Empty into bowl and refrigerate.

From recipezaar.com:

Cretons (Groton)
1 lb ground pork
1 cup milk
1 medium onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced fine (or to taste)
1 teaspoon pepper
2-4 whole cloves
1 pinch allspice
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs

1. In a large sauce pan, add all the ingredients except the bread crumbs.
2. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat mixture as it begins to cook over medium heat.
3. Cook for at least 1 1/2 hours stirring often and breaking up the meat.
4. The meat should be as fine as possible.
5. When done, add the bread crumbs and cook for 15 minutes more.
6. Remove from heat, and take out the cloves and bay leaves.
7. Cool and place in small tin foil loaf pans.
8. Wrap each pan well with plastic wrap and then tin foil.
9. Keep in fridge or freeze.
10. NOTE:.
11. A suggestion has been offered to lessen the amount of breadcrumbs. Think about it before you commit to 1 1/2 cups.
12. A layer of fat may coat the top; you can remove this as you use the spread.
13. Spread on warm, unbuttered, toasted crusty bread. Yummy!

I’m familiar with Cretons (never heard the Mailhot’s part) due to a large number of French-descended folks who lived in Salem,Mass.I always thought it was something that came down from Quebec.I never tried it but it is sold in the Salem grocery stores.

My dad was also from Lewiston Maine. He always cooked this for us growing up. After he died, mom made it. She passed away in a car accident before she shared the recipe with us. Where is a recipe that is similar to the Mailhot’s? If you can help, I would really appreciate it! 
Thanks,
Marie Fournier Blue