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Pork Rillettes

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appetizers•french•contains pork, contains meat, gluten-free
28 hours•8 servings•

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder – cut into 1.5-inch cubes (~3.5 n/a pork shoulders)
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns – cracked
  • 4 cloves garlic – lightly crushed
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 2 leaves bay
  • 2 cups pork lard – divided (1.5 cups for cooking; 0.5 cup for sealing)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • crusty bread – sliced (for serving)
  • cornichons – for serving
  • Dijon mustard – for serving
Pork Rillettes

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Combine the pork shoulder, fine sea salt, cracked black peppercorns, crushed garlic, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves in a nonreactive bowl; toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate 12–24 hours.

  2. 2.

    Heat the oven to 275°F. Transfer the pork mixture and any juices to a heavy, lidded pot. Add the water and 1.5 cups of the pork lard, reserving the remaining 0.5 cup for sealing. Bring to a bare simmer over low heat.

  3. 3.

    Cover and cook in the oven, stirring once or twice, until the pork is very tender and shreds when pressed with a spoon, 3–3.5 hours.

  4. 4.

    Discard the thyme stems and bay leaves. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a bowl, adding enough of the cooking fat to moisten. Shred with two forks, then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until it forms a coarse, spreadable paste, 2–3 minutes. Stir in the ground white pepper.

  5. 5.

    Pack the rillettes into clean jars or ramekins, pressing to remove air pockets and leaving about 0.25 inch of headspace. Gently melt the reserved fat and pour a thin, even layer over the surface to seal. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until fully chilled and set, at least 12 hours.

  6. 6.

    To serve, let the rillettes soften at room temperature for 15–20 minutes. Serve with crusty bread, cornichons, and Dijon mustard.

Pork rillettes are a rich, spreadable preparation of slow-cooked pork bound with its own rendered fat. The texture is coarse yet creamy, with succulent shreds suspended in a silky emulsion that melts on warm, crusty bread. Savory aromatics like garlic, thyme, and bay give gentle depth, while a finishing pinch of pepper brightens the pork’s natural sweetness.

Originating in France’s Loire and Sarthe regions, rillettes developed as a way to preserve meat before refrigeration by covering it with a protective seal of fat. The technique spread throughout the country and became a staple of charcuterie boards and bistro fare. Today, pork remains the canonical version, celebrated for its simplicity, rustic charm, and the way an overnight rest makes the flavors bloom.