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Pork Rillettes Classic French Recipe

Pork Rillettes

Because of the lengthy cook time, Lisa and I like to make a big batch of rillettes every winter and freeze them in small jars ready to enjoy all throughout the year. Rillettes are best served at room temperature spread thickly on toasted bread.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine French, Provencal

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lbs (.68kg) Boneless Pork Shoulder cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 lb (.45kg) Pork Belly cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 Duck legs
  • 2 cups (454ml) White Wine
  • 5 tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
  • 3 Star Anise
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 sprig Thyme
  • 2 cups (454ml) Melted Pork Fat (lard or duck fat)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 250°F (121ºC).
  • In a large Dutch oven over high heat, combine the pork shoulder, pork belly, duck legs, wine, salt, nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon stick, rosemary, thyme, and fat.
  • Bring to a boil, cover and braise in the oven for about six hours, or until the meat completely falls apart at the slightest touch.
  • Remove from the oven. Use a Chinese wire mesh strainer to lift out all the solid pieces, reserving the liquid.
  • Discard the duck bones, star anise, cinnamon stick, rosemary, and thyme.
  • Shred the pork either by hand or put it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
  • Pack into clean jars and top with a thin veneer of liquid fat.
  • Cover and refrigerate for a few days before digging in or freeze and keep until you are ready to eat.

Notes

3 Ways to Serve Pork Rillettes:
As an appetizer: In a clear glass jar with a latching lid crammed full of pork rillettes arranged on a rustic wooden cutting board with cornichon, 24-hour pickled onions, Dijon mustard, and toasted baguette.
As heartier main course salad: I like to toss whatever bitter greens you can find at the farmers market or in your local greengrocers.
In a quiche (seriously how French is that?): In Jane Grigson cult classic Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery, she mentions a regional quiche called Quiche Tourangelle. Find a basic quiche recipe online and instead of using ham and cheese, or whatever they use as the filling simply put a layer of rillettes down.
Keyword Duck, Pork
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