Gorton (French-Canadian Pork Spread)

1. Combine pork fat, ground pork, onions, water, cloves, and nutmeg in a large pot; season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, mashing mixture with a potato masher every 15 minutes as it cooks; simmer until pork is tender, at least 1 ½ hours. Add water as necessary to keep mixture from boiling dry. Reduce liquid as much as possible when ready to stop cooking without letting it burn. Transfer to lidded containers.

2. Refrigerate gorton 8 hours to overnight. Remove and discard fat layer or stir into gorton for a creamier spread.

Cook's Note:

The longer gorton simmers, the better the flavor will be.