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Pork Rillettes

Pork Rillettes are a rich treat. Made with tasty, free-range pork, slowly cooked in home-rendered pork fat, the soft spread is wonderful on toasted bread, with pickled vegetables on the side.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack, Preserve
Cuisine French, British
Keyword rillettes, pork rillettes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 kg belly of pork, skin removed see Recipe notes for how to make pork scratchings from the skin
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 100 g fat (e.g. lard, butter, goose fat or a mixture of these) see Recipe Notes for how to make your own lard
  • butter or lard to seal the finished rillettes optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 150C/130C fan/Gas 2

  2. Dice the pork belly into 1-2 cm dice and put in a heavy lidded casserole dish which has a lid. If there are bones in the pork, add those to the casserole too as they'll add flavour.

  3. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

  4. Distribute the fat over the top of the pork, put the lid on and place the casserole in the preheated oven.

  5. Cook until the pork is very tender and easily comes apart with a fork (approx 4 hours). Stir occasionally to ensure it's not sticking to the pot.

  6. When the meat is done, shred with two forks: better still, use your hands when it's cool enough. Make sure you remove bones (scraping off any meat first), gristle or cartilage.

  7. Mix together the shredded meat and fat. Taste and add more salt and pepper if liked.

  8. Pack into a bowl or individual ramekins.

    If liked, melt more fat and pour over the top of the rillettes to seal them.

    Cover with paper and store in the fridge.

  9. Serve, gently warmed so the fat starts to run, with bread, preferably toasted, plus pickles.

Recipe Notes

 

Homemade Lard

Ask your butcher for pork fat trimmings e.g. taken from the underside of a pork belly. Cut the fat into small dice and place in a heavy, covered pot in a low oven. After about an hour, the liquid fat should have rendered out. Strain and store in a jar in the fridge.

 

Pork Scratchings

If you've saved the skin from the pork belly, then it's easy to make into pork scratchings. Just season the skin with salt, place it on a rack in a roasting tin and cook in a low oven until bubbly and crispy. Cool and break into pieces.