Pork Rillettes Recipe Thomas Keller Food

PORK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Place all the meat, fat and bones into a large bowl. Add the salt, sugar and bay leaves. Using a spice grinder, grind the juniper berries, black peppercorns, cloves and nutmeg to a smooth powder and add it to the meat. Get your hands in there and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl in cling film and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day preheat the oven to 140C/280F/Gas 1 and transfer the cured meat mixture to a heavy-bottomed pan (preferably cast iron). Add the wine, thyme, garlic and duck or goose fat. Place the pan over a low heat and stir constantly for a few minutes. When the rillette mixture is close to boiling, lay the pork skin on the surface and put the lid on the pan. Place into the oven and cook for 2½-3 hours.
• Remove from the oven, take off the lid and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the skin, bones and bay leaves and strain the liquid through a colander. Skim the fat off the liquid and set aside. Put the meat into a bowl with the remaining liquid and blend with an electric hand blender. Gradually add the reserved fat until the mixture is soft
• Add the ground spices, taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
• Line a terrine mould with cling film and fill it with the warm rillettes mixture. Place in a fridge until set. The rillettes can be eaten as soon as set but will improve with age, and is best eaten at least one week after cooking. Serve with toast and pickles.

RILLETTES (ANTHONY BOURDAIN AT LES HALLES)

Steps:

• Place the pork belly and shoulder in a heavy bottomed pot. Add water and the bouquet garni and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally.
• After 6 hours, stir in the salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Discard the bouquet garni.
• Once the meat is cooled enough to handle, transfer it to a mixing bowl, using forks, shred the meat (not mush, SHREDS is the key)
• Shovel some still warm pork into your mouth -- you know you want to.
• Divide the mixture among several small containers. Top each portion with a slice or two of pork fat to completely cover it, fold the mixture together a bit then wrap each container in plastic wrap.
• Place in the refrigerator and let them sit for 3 days before serving. Don't cheat on the 3 days because it just gets better as the flavors marry up!

CLASSIC FRENCH PORK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large ovenproof baking dish, mix all the ingredients.
• Tightly cover the dish with foil or a well-fitting lid.
• Cook in the center of the oven for 3 hours, until the meat is falling apart. It is imperative to keep checking the dish to make sure the meat is not drying out as it cooks; add more water if needed. Once cooked, remove the dish from the heat, leave the foil or lid in place and allow the meat to cool in the dish for 30 to 45 minutes until it is warm.
• Remove the lid and discard the bay leaf and duck bones and any little pieces of meat which may have dried too far.
• Shred and stir the meat and fat with a large fork until it resembles a chunky, creamy spread, if correctly cooked this will be very easy to do.
• Place the rillettes in a beautiful serving pot and level with the back of a spoon.
• Pour any remaining fat in the cooking dish over the surface to help keep the rillettes moist.
• Chill for at least 24 hours before serving.

PORK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 275º. Put the peppercorns, allspice, cloves and coriander in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder and process until finely ground. Put the pork in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven and sprinkle with salt and the spice mixture. Add the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary and stock and put the pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cover and put the pot in the oven. Cook, checking every now and then, until the pork is falling apart and beginning to caramelize and the stock has almost entirely evaporated (remove the cover if necessary to get the liquid to evaporate; the bottom of the pot should be just about all melted fat when you're done), 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Strain the mixture; reserve the fat and discard the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary and any gristle. Transfer the pork to a bowl and mash it into small shreds with the back of a fork. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved fat and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if you like (keep in mind that the colder you serve the rillettes, the less salty they will taste). Pack the rillettes into a mason jar or another container and refrigerate (covered tightly, they will keep for at least a week). Serve cold or at room temperature.

PORK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Reserve 1 bay leaf, then tip everything except the duck fat and serving suggestions into a bowl and season generously. If you have time, cover and leave the meat to marinate overnight in the fridge - however, this isn't essential.
• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Tip the meat and all the juices into a flameproof casserole dish with a lid. Pour over 250ml water, or enough to just cover the meat, and place the pan on a low heat. As soon as it starts to bubble, pop on the lid and put in the oven for 2½-3 hrs, removing it once to give it a good stir.
• The meat should now be very tender. Leave it to cool slightly in the pan, then drain over a bowl to catch the fat and juices. Shred the pork by hand or put in a food processor and pulse a few times to shred, but don't overwork it into a paste. Taste, add extra seasoning if needed, then press meat into 2 small or 1 large serving dish, or pack into individual ramekins. Pour the juices and fat back over the meat, and put in the fridge for at least 2 hrs for the fat to harden. (To keep the rillettes for a week or so, cover with a layer of duck fat, and lay a bay leaf and a couple of juniper berries on top for decoration.)
• Serve with sourdough toast, cornichons and a few bitter leaves (such as curly endive, rocket and radicchio), in a sharp mustardy dressing.

FIVE SPICE PORK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in lower third.
• Mince and mash garlic with five-spice powder, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Rub onto pork and fatback in a 5-quart heavy pot. Wrap parsley, bay leaf, and halved scallions in cheesecloth and tie with string. Add to pot with pork, water, and 1/3 cup Sherry and bring to a boil. Cover and braise in oven until meat is very tender, about 3 hours.
• Boil carrot until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in chopped scallion and cook 1 minute. Drain and cool slightly.
• Drain pork mixture in a large sieve set over a bowl, reserving liquid. Finely shred meat and lightly mash fatback with tines, transferring both to a bowl. Skim and reserve fat from liquid. Stir 1/2 cup liquid into meat with vegetables, remaining tablespoon Sherry and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cool.
• Transfer to terrine, pressing lightly. Top with 1/4 inch of fat. Cool, then chill 8 hours. Serve at room temperature.

RILLETTES OF DUCK

Steps:

• Lay duck breast side down. With sharp knife carefully remove skin. Cut off 5 ounces (approximately 1/2 cup) duck fat, chop into fine dice; reserve. Discard skin. Remove meat from carcass, cut meat from the breast and from the thigh in strips. Do not use meat from lower leg.
• Finely mince barding fat in food processor.
• Clean vegetables. Cut onion in half horizontally and carrot in half lengthwise.
• Place barding fat and duck fat in casserole. Add water to barely cover. Set over medium heat; cover and simmer 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated. Fat should be almost completely melted.
• Add pork fillet, duck, garlic, onion, carrot, bouquet garni, salt and pepper and pepper corns Add 1 cup of wine; bring to boil. Cover and place over low heat so mixture is barely simmering. Cook 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; remove vegetables and aromatics. Add remaining wine; cover with damp cloth and let cool. Be sure cloth does not touch mixture.
• When lukewarm mix thoroughly with fingers. Taste, and correct seasoning.
• Fill a two-quart terrine and cover with foil. Refrigerate for at least two days before eating. Serve with country bread.