Rillette de Porc

Rillette de Porc can be made very easily, first dice your pork into approximately 1 to 2 inch cubes, then place in a marmite or better still an electric slow-cooker and cover in dripping ensuring your meat is totally submerged by at least 2inches, then cook slowly for about 6 - 8 hours.




Add your seasoning after the first 2 hours of cooking or leave it until the end and do not be tempted to stir the meat at any stage, for this will stimulate the meat to coagulate the proteins. When the meat is tender to the point of falling apart turn off the heat and take out the cubed pork and shred it with two forks in a large sieve and over a bowl, this part of the work is time consuming but is worth all the effort. You could if you wish pound the meat in a large heavy pestle and mortar or as a last resort use a blender using only the pulse button briefly.




Once you have shredded all the meat, season with just salt & pepper and with a little nutmeg if required, then add the cooking juices and dripping until you are happy with the consistency and then pot into ramekins or other dishes of your choice. The consistency I aim for when filling my containers is one of a peat bog under-foot, so just as you place pressure on the meat the juices will rise and break the surface.




The above pictures were taken at the Jack in the Green, where award winning chef Matthew Downing put together this rillette dish. I like this idea of serving in a kilner jar for it can accomodate a table of two or can be adopted to have on a buffet.

Here Matthew built up his dish with a celriac puree, caper berries, gherkins, silverskin onions, mushrooms, crushed pork scratchings and a garnish of micro salad leaves, not to mention a sliced mini granary loaf.


Recipe:
For every kilo of meat;
18g x salt
2g x white pepper
2g x nutmeg (optional)



(rillette de canard, served with toast and a gherkin & radish garnish)

For Rillette de Canard and Rillette de Oie, they both benefit from adding quatre spice.


(rillette d'oie served in an egg cup with toasted soldiers and a tomato & gherkin garnish)

Quatre (Four) Spice:
4 x Tablespoon White Pepper
1 x Teaspoon Ginger
1 x Teaspoon Nutmeg
¼ x Teaspoon Ground Cloves

or the one I prefer, consists of the following:-

1 x Black Pepper
1 x Nutmeg
1 x Ground Cloves
1 x Ginger

Cinnamon can be used in place of ginger.

TopTip: Serve Rillette as you would a pate, however never refer to it as a pate, for that would be seen as an injustice to this great product.