Rillettes are a traditional French pate made with pork or duck, cooked in its own fat and served on bread. Authentic rillettes use fresh fat and can last up to a month in jars. Duck rillettes are made with confit and herbs.
Rillettes are a type of pate traditionally made with pork, but can also be made with duck. Paté is minced or shredded meat and processed with its own fat to make it smooth and spreadable. A traditional food, rillettes are called “pork jam” or confiture de cochon by the French. They can be made in a slow cooker or on the stove.
The main ingredients of rillettes are meat and fat, usually pork. Many recipes suggest using rendered lard since most home cooks don’t want to make their own. Both ribs and shoulder meat are used. Pork can also be used.
Authentic rillettes will be made with fresh, not pre-rendered fat. The fat, or lard, is first cut into small pieces – keeping the lard cold makes it easier to cut. Then, the lard is placed in a pot and boiled, which melts or renders the fat.
The rib is cut into large pieces and the shoulder into medium-sized pieces. Both the rib and shoulder are placed on top of the fat and covered with water. After simmering for a few hours, the ribs are removed and deboned. The meat is then returned to the pot and much of the liquid is boiled away, leaving the meat poached in its own fat only. During this process, the meat becomes extremely tender and begins to fall apart when touched.
Next, the meat is mixed with the fat and placed in covered containers for chilling or refrigerated storage. A layer of fat should be placed on top of the rillettes in each jar. Rillettes can usually last up to a week, but can keep up to a month in tightly closed jars.
Duck rillettes are usually made with duck confit and often mixed with herbs. A confit is similar to a pâté in that it’s cooked in its own fat, but confit uses a whole cut of meat rather than ground beef. Confit duck is usually made with duck feet. After the confit is cooked, it is left to cool. Then the leg meat is removed from the bone and shredded before being mixed again with some of the fat.
Rillettes can be thick and naturally or smooth depending on how meat and fat blend together. Spices such as garlic, salt, ginger or thyme can be added for extra flavour. Usually, rillettes are served on a baguette or similar type of bread and topped with shallots, apricots, or pickled pickles to balance out the intense flavor of the meat.
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