Basic Rillettes
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
3 hrs
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Curing Time
8 hrs
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Total Time
11 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
404 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer, Snacks, Lunch
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Cuisine
French
Basic Rillettes
Description
This Basic Rillettes recipe uses pork shoulder or other suitable meats that are first marinated with brandy and dried marjoram alongside salt to enhance flavor penetration. Simmering the meat gently in broth or fat until very tender breaks down connective tissues, yielding a soft shred that forms the base of this spread. The minced onion and garlic softened in fat add mellow sweetness and aromatic depth.
Incorporating toasted sesame, poppy, caraway seeds, and optional anise-like yampa lends a subtle complexity and texture to the mixture, while dried lovage or parsley provides fresh herbal highlights. The final product is a rich, creamy meat preparation typically served as a spread on bread or crackers.
The method accommodates variations with different meats and simmers times adapted to meat type. Marinating overnight develops the flavors deeply, and shredding is done by hand to achieve the desired texture. Additional fat from the cooking liquid or pan enriches the blend and ensures spreadability.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork shoulder see above, or any other meats
- salt
- 3 tablespoons brandy optional, or bourbon or whisky
- 2 tablespoons marjoram dried or thyme
- 2 quarts stock or broth
- 1 cup duck fat or lard or butter
- 1/2 cup yellow onion minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted
- 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon yampa optional, or anise seeds
- 1 tablespoon lovage leaves optional, dried, or parsley leaves, crushed
Instructions
- If you are using pork shoulder, cut it into chunks about 2 inches across. If you are using bird legs and wings, separate drumsticks from thighs. Toss the meat or meats with the brandy in a large bowl. Mix the dried marjoram and a couple tablespoons of salt and toss that with the meats. Let this sit in the fridge overnight, about 8 hours.
- Rinse the meats and pat them dry. You can either submerge them in fat to cook, which is traditional -- but which requires a lot of lard, duck fat or butter -- or you can very gently simmer them in the stock, which is what I do. Cook the meats until they are very tender, anything from 2 hours for pork shoulder to 4 hours for, say, wild turkey legs.
- Meanwhile, sauté the onion and garlic in a little of the fat you are using until they are soft and translucent, but not browned. Set aside to cool.
- Shred the meat into a large bowl. Add the cooked onion and garlic and any fat in the pan you used to cook them. Add all the seeds and the dried herbs. Add a few tablespoons of the stock you cooked the meats in to wet everything. Start beating on it with a potato masher, adding that 1 cup of whatever fat you are using little by little.
- Keep doing this until you have a rough mass that will spread. Tinker with the salt and fat to your taste, and if you want, add just a splash of the same kind of brandy you used to soak the meats in. Serve right away over bread, or pack into ramekins and top with melted fat and refrigerate.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 404 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 404kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 94mg | 31% |
| Sodium | 1010mg | 42% |
| Potassium | 458mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 544IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 26mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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