5.0 from 15 votes
Basic Rillettes
Make this recipe with pork shoulder, duck or goose legs, or cooked, shredded meat from any game animal. I used sharp-tailed grouse here.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Curing Time
8 hrs
Total Time
11 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 404 kcal
Course:
Main Course , Appetizer , Snacks , Lunch
Cuisine:
French
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork shoulder or any other meats (see above)
- salt
- 3 tablespoons brandy, bourbon or whisky (optional)
- 2 tablespoons dried marjoram or thyme
- 2 quarts stock or broth
- 1 cup duck fat, lard or butter
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon yampa or anise seeds (optional)
- 1 tablespoon dried lovage or parsley leaves, crushed (optional)
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.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
404kcal
(20%)
Carbohydrates
5g
(2%)
Protein
26g
(52%)
Fat
30g
(46%)
Saturated Fat
10g
(50%)
Cholesterol
94mg
(31%)
Sodium
1010mg
(42%)
Potassium
458mg
(13%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
544IU
(11%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
26mg
(3%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 404
% 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.