French
Rillettes du Mans
Pork shoulder and belly collapse slowly in lard, thyme, and bay before hand-shredding into a rich, rustic chilled spread.
16 servings · 25 minutes prep · 240 minutes cook
Ingredients
Rillettes
- 2 lb boneless pork shoulder
- 1 lb skinless pork belly
- 1 cup rendered pork lard
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 garlic cloves
- 6 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Directions
Cook until collapsing
- Combine pork shoulder, pork belly, lard, water, garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, kosher salt, and black pepper in a Dutch oven.
- Cover and cook at {{temperature:275F}}, turning occasionally, until the meat collapses under a fork, 3 1/2-4 hours.
Shred, pack, and chill
- Strain, keeping meat, clear fat, and gelatinous juices separate; discard herbs. Hand-shred warm meat, mixing in enough juices and fat to make it succulent and spreadable.
- Pack firmly into clean jars, eliminating air pockets, and cover the surface with a thin layer of clear fat. Cool no longer than 2 hours, then refrigerate at least 12 hours. Serve cool room temperature; return leftovers to the refrigerator promptly and use within 5 days.
