Rillettes are a South-West-France spread of meats simmered slowly in herbs and wine then shredded and packed into preserving jars to make a rough country paté to eat with good strong bread and a munch of cornichons - those tiny French cucumber pickles that aren't suffocatingly sweet like Bread & Butter pickles. They can be made with pork, rabbit, goose or duck - or a mix of all four. Make them in quantity and pot them up in Le Parfait kilner jars or Mason jars and you'll have an instant treat for unexpected friends any time of year...

1 1/2 pounds pork belly chopped into chunks
3 pounds pork loin, neck or belly, or 2 pounds of duck or goose cut into chunks, including bones and skin, or rabbit off the bone
1 pint water (or for pork rillettes 10 fluid ounces)
1 glass white wine (optional but good. For pork, 10 fluid ounces)
3 bay leaves
1 clove garlic, crushed
6 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
a scraping of fresh grated nutmeg
salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Chop meat and fat into 2-inch chunks, add to a heavy casserole with everything else. Make sure it's covered with liquid and bring slowly to the boil, stirring occasionally to prevent meats sticking. Lower heat and cover. Simmer for 4 hours, removing scum as necessary. If the liquid is not evaporating, slide the cover a little to the side to allow steam to escape. You want the liquid to have settled around the meats so the whole mass looks well incorporated together.

Cool then press through a sieve to strain the liquids off. (If you pour them into a jug and let them cool in the fridge, the fat will rise and solidify and you can use some of it to melt as a protective cover at the end of construction. But a good deal must be incorporated loose into the meats with their juices.) Remove any fresh thyme stalks, take spoonfuls of the meat and drop them into a clean bowl. Take two forks and shred each spoonful into a rough paste, tossing any bones but shredding and incorporating the skin. Stir in enough of the fat and liquid to produce a spongey mass. If you haven't cooled the liquids in the fridge, whisk it with a fork and add.

Season with a brief grate of nutmeg, plenty of freshly ground black pepper, salt and some more thyme. 

Pot into cleaned jars and cover with waxed or parchment paper. Alternatively, melt down more pork fat or lard and cover with that. The rillettes should be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days before eating for the flavors to mature. They will store in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. Or, if you've sterlized them in the jar in the proper manner, in a storecupboard for as long as you want.

Eat with good rough country bread and French cornichons - emphatically not American sweetened gherkins or cucumber pickles! 

Note: The Butcher's Block sells good pork belly.

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1 Comment

1. Phillip Esteban

   hello,
   
   ive been trying to find the jars in the picture for rillettes. where can i find those specific jar? thanks
   
   phillip esteban
   sous chef
   craft & commerce
   675 w beech st
   san diego ca 92101
   6199489983