Meadow Haven Rillettes

The Green City Market opened for the first time since the Holidaze this weekend with a snout-to-tail themed market.  To properly honor the market and its theme, I set out to do a pork liver pate to pick up the slack for the less adventurous market-goers.  Unfortunately for me and you, there was no liver to be found.  Not being able to revise plans very well on early Saturday mornings, I spent a lot of time gazing across the market while munching on an apple galette from Floriole (no market venture is complete without one).

Perhaps a terrine of thymus would have been good, but in my panic I decided to stick with what I know, the pig.  This decision was made infinitely easier by the great folks from Meadow Haven Organic Farm out of Sheffield.  Buckets of lard, pig parts, farm fresh eggs, chickens and ducks lay prized in their cache.  Pork necks selling for $2/lb?  Why yes, I know what to do with these often overlooked parts: spend the rest of my Saturday making rillettes.

The first step is to melt lard (~1/2 lb or more) with a half cup of water in a heavy bottomed pot.  Do this on low heat, and with a lid on.  Once the action has settled, place two pounds of pork necks (incl bone weight) and half a pound of bacon in the pot.  Season with a few sprigs of thyme.  Place the pot uncovered in a 250 Dg oven for 5 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.  Don't worry about any bits sticking out of the liquid either.  I like this method because of the absolute temperature control; I know that the lard will never get hot enough to fry the meat and give it a crispy texture.

Most rillette recipes state not to use smoked or cured bacon, and I understand that the reason is that those flavors can be overwhelming in the mix.  But what about those of us who enjoy the taste of bacon, smoke, and cure?  This deviant recipe is for said group of deviants.

After the 5 hours passes, test for tenderness, and if it passes, leave the pot out to cool to a manageable temperature.  Remove any thyme stems, shred the meat, and discard any bones.  This is also the time to season the meat with salt, and any other desired spices.  Not much should be needed if using smoked bacon.  Return the meat to the cooking liquid (ie lard), and pour into sterile mason jars.  Pack the meat down to remove as many air bubbles as possible.

There should be some excess lard, but it won't be wasted--trust me.  Bring the remaining lard to a boil, and top off the jars with an inch of fat.  This will not only help to preserve the precious pork, but add flavor and help make the rillettes more spreadable.

When ready for consumption, preferably after at least three days, bring the rillettes to room temperature, and drizzle some fat from the top layer over.  Spread the mixture over a lightly toasted baguette, then top with a favorite fruit preserve, and a sprinkle of fleur de sel.  The result is a sweet, salty, porky bite of a busted New Year's resolution.  And it feels great.

Comments

[Tatiana]

A great way for a New Year's resolution to go down in flames. Looks delicious. Any thoughts on what to use to flavor rabbit rillettes?

[Stash]

I think it would depend on the time of year, because rabbit can be a very Spring/Summer dish since it's so light, but I also think it can stand up to allspice/cinnamon/clove/bay leaf.

[Tatiana]

I was thinking juniper berries... or fennel pollen...