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Rillettes de Tours
Potted shredded pork
Slow-cooked pork pounded into Touraine's rich, rustic spread
Touraine, the stretch of the Loire Valley around Tours, has made rillettes since the Middle Ages, and every charcuterie counter in the region sells them alongside rillons, their chunky cousins. This is pork through and through: pork shoulder and belly cooked very slowly in their own fat with a little water until they collapse, then shredded with forks into a soft, rich spread that is brown at the edges and deeply savoury. Pots of it go on the table at apéritif time with crusty bread, cornichons and a glass of something cold. Kept sealed under a layer of fat, they last a week in the fridge. Chef's tip: cook it long enough that the meat colours lightly in the fat at the end; that browning is what gives Tours rillettes their deeper taste.
- Total time
- 290 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb boneless pork shouldercut into 4 cm cubes
- 1 ⅛ lb pork belly, rind removedcut into 3 cm cubes
- 5 ½ oz lard
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- 2 garlic clovespeeled, left whole
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
To serve
- 1 crusty bread or gluten-free bread (optional)loaf, sliced
- 20 cornichons (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Melt 5 ½ oz lard in a heavy casserole over a low heat. Add 1 ⅛ lb pork belly, rind removed and stir until the fat starts to run.
10 minStep 2: Add 2 ¼ lb boneless pork shoulder, ¾ cup water, 2 tsp fine salt, 3 thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves and 2 garlic cloves. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over the lowest heat, stirring every 30 minutes.
210 minStep 3: The meat is ready when it is completely fork-tender and breaks apart when pressed against the side of the pot. Uncover, raise the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until the water has evaporated and the meat turns light golden in the fat.
30 minStep 4: Remove the herbs and garlic. Tip the meat into a sieve over a bowl to catch the fat, and leave both to cool a little.
15 minStep 5: Shred the warm meat with two forks, or pound it briefly with a pestle, adding back fat a spoonful at a time until soft and spreadable. Season with 1 tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and more salt to taste. Don't use a food processor: it turns rillettes into paste instead of soft threads.
Step 6: Pack into clean jars or ramekins, pressing down to get rid of air, then pour a 5 mm layer of the remaining fat on top to seal.
Step 7: Cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before eating. Keep in the fridge for up to 7 days, and once opened eat within 3 days. Serve at room temperature with 1 crusty bread or gluten-free bread and 20 cornichons.
720 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 0 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rillettes de Tours take?
- About 290 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 270 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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