There's a jar in my fridge that I gaze longingly at every time I open the door. It's packed with slow-cooked soft pork, salt and pepper, and the flavours of rosemary, thyme and garlic. Seams of pork fat fill the spaces between the pork.
I have surprisingly good self-control when it comes to food, and I've been spreading this batch of pork rillettes out for weeks. Also, because it takes about three kilos of pork belly to get three tiny little jars. But it is one of the most delicious pork dishes I've eaten.
My recipe is a combination of ideas from Maggie Beer, Matthew Evans and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Their rillettes also include rabbits and ducks, but we don't have rabbits at our place (except for one massive pet buck, who is not going in to a jar) and I'd have to use about 10 Indian Runner ducks to get enough meat off them. But we have easy access to pork.
Take a pork belly - a whole one will weigh about 3kg - and cut it in to good-sized chunks, a bit like toast soldiers. I've tried two different cooking techniques: firstly in the oven at about 120 degrees. This batch had little crunchy bits through it, and a bit more of a crackling flavour. Secondly, I've used a slow-cooker. No crunchy bits, but a much smoother texture.
Choose which method you'd prefer, and whether you want to clean your oven or wash up a cooker. Chop up a couple of cloves of garlic and some rosemary and thyme sprigs and put them in with the pork.
The idea is to cook the pork for so long that the fat melts and the pork falls apart when you touch it. In the oven that's about four hours. In the slow-cooker I kept it going for ten.
When it's falling apart drain off the fat (keep it!) and let the meat cool a little so you don't burn your fingers - or mouth. You now need to break the pork apart so the bits are small enough to be spread on biscuits or bread. You can use two forks, or, as I prefer, my fingers.
Break it all up and then add as much salt and pepper as you think necessary. You'll probably need more than you think. I squelch this in with my hands too.
Sterilise some jars (150 degrees for 15 mins) and pack them with the pork mix. Pour some of the reserved fat over the top and make sure it seeps into the cracks.
My favourite way of eating rillettes is with cracked pepper Savoy biscuits, but crusty bread or toast is pretty good too.
YUM.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do have a whole pork belly in the freezer. Meant to be for bacon, but I may change my mind now.
Love those rilletts, on a biscuit with pepper, heaven. I prefer the long slow cooking method and I always get some one else to wash the cooker up, it is good to delegate. With products like this I have very little self control unless I hide it in the fridge behind something else. You know us guys short attention span and all. Going to be up your way in January love to pop in for a chat. Talk to you latter.
ReplyDeleteI've got a confession to make. I just broke in to the rillettes. Oh dear.
ReplyDeleteVeronica, maybe you could do half bacon, half rillettes?
Simon, look forward to seeing you in January after the Christmas ham madness!