Rillettes de porc, or pork rillettes, are a popular lunch or snack in France. Think of fresh crusty bread, creamy French butter, topped with tender pork and served with cornichons.
This recipe is so easy to do, makes a great gift and is so deliciously frugal too.
Perfect for fuss free entertaining, as you can make it a few days in advance.
Bon appétit
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Rillettes are basically a dish of slow cooked pork or poultry in its own fat to make a tasty, decadent. It's cooked in a very similar way to making duck confit, but the meat is served shredded instead.
My French friends give these as gifts. They often have them at a casual evening meal, if they have eaten their main meal at midday, as is the norm in France. Perhaps, it's a bit like pulled pork in a jar, but much more classy and easier to make than a pâté.
For us, rillettes de porc form part of a French lunch with crusty bread and cheese, and perhaps a cheeky glass of red wine.
❤️ Why you will love this dish
- Make in advance and it lasts for up to 5 days.
- Delicious spread onto bread or toast for an easy lunch or starter.
- Budget friendly.
- Easy to make.
- Great gift idea.
- Fuss free entertaining.
🤔FAQs
Rillettes is the term used for slow roasted meat, cooked in fat, which is then shredded and packed in its own juices to preserve it.
A terrine is often made by lining the dish with bacon, layering meats and sometimes vegetables, then cooked in a water bath in the oven. It is served in slices, normally for a starter.
A pâté is often cooked in the same wa,y but the meats are minced before cooking so that the pâté can be spread on bread. Pâté can be course or smooth.
With a parfait the meat is cooked first and then passed through a sieve to achieve a smooth mixture. Cream and butter are often added for added richness, along with brandy or other alcohol. I should point out that the term parfait, when discussing a savoury dish, is more used by the British than French. A parfait in French, relates to a smooth dessert.
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🍽 Equipment
- large saucepan with lid
- sharp knife
- 6 jam jars or medium preserving jars
- small saucepan or microwaveable bowl
- mixing bowl
- colander
🥘 Ingredients
- Pork - belly or shoulder, cut into slices. It needs to be meat that has some visible fat to keep the rillettes de porc moist.
- Lard - this is rendered pork fat and is used to seal the jars.
- Garlic - whole cloves rather than powder or granules.
- Sage - fresh sage for the best flavour.
- Salt - cooking salt
- Pepper - freshly ground black pepper.
The printable recipe card with full ingredient quantities and instructions can be found at the bottom of the article.
🔪 Instructions
Peel the garlic and mince finely.
Cut the pork into slices or chunks.
Place the pork, in a large lidded saucepan with the lard, minced garlic, chopped fresh sage and seasoning.
⏲️ Cooking Time
Put the pan on a medium heat and warm slowly until the lard has dissolved.
Place the lid on the pan and reduce the heat to low for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid and cook for a further hour or until the pork is very soft.
If you prefer, cook the meat in the oven at 150 C / 300 F / 130 FAN / Gas 2.
Use a deep roasting dish and cover with foil.
Drain the meat in a colander over a large bowl, reserving the liquid. Remove the sage and any lumps of fat leftover in the pan.
Use two forks to shred the meat.
Put the rillettes de porc back into a clean saucepan with the reserved juices from straining and heat for a few minutes until everything is mixed.
Sterilise the jars for 10 minutes in a 140 C oven.
Pack the rillettes into sterilized jars and leave to cool and then pour over a layer of melted lard to seal before securing the lid.
If you don't want to add the lard layer the pork rillettes will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator in unsterilised jars.
What's your favourite thing to spread on crusty bread? This is definitely mine.
🥗 Side Dishes
Delicious with toast, crusty bread and a salad.
- Red onion chutney
- Cornichons - these are small cucumber pickles
- Green salad
- Fougasse Bread
- Carrot and Celeriac Remoulade
- Fennel and Pear Salad with Blue Cheese
- Tomato and Onion Salad
- Pear and Rocket Salad
- Courgette Salad
- Broad Bean Salad
📖 Variations
🍣 Storage
- Refrigerator - store covered in the fridge for up to 2 months if prepared in sterlised jars with the rilletes covered with lard..
- Freezer - store in an airtight container and freeze for up to a month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
🍱 Prepare in Advance
- Make the pork rillettes day or 2 in advance and store in the fridge.
Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais
More recipes like this
📋 Recipe
Pork Rillettes
Equipment
- large saucepan with lid
- sharp knife
- 6 jam jars or medium preserving jars
- small saucepan or microwaveable bowl
- Mixing bowl
- colander
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg pork belly or shoulder sliced
- 150 g lard
- 3 cloves of garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon sage fresh
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 100 g lard for sealing
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients, except the 100g of lard in a large saucepan and heat slowly until the lard has melted.
- Cover the pan and cook for 3 hours on a low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Cook uncovered for up to an hour until the meat is falling apart.
- Strain the pork in a colander over a bowl, reserving the juices.
- Remove the sage and any fat then use two forks to finely shred the meat.
- Sterilise the jars for 10 minutes in a 140 C oven.
- Return the pork to a clean pan with the reserved juices and heat for a few minutes to combine before packing into jars.
- Allow the rillettes to cool then melt the lard in a saucepan and pour a layer over each jar before sealing.
- Alternatively pack in plastic containers and freeze.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
Pork
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Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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Nice and easy!
pat@alldayieat
ahhh so this is how they are made 😀
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I think many of the best French dishes are the ones made by the poorer people who had to make do and preserve. Nothing is wasted and slow cooking at this time of year keeps the barn lovely and warm!
Karen
Your rillettes sounds good and I like that there is enough to enjoy and also have some for gifts. I remember the first time I had rillettes, it was at a little restaurant in Montignac, France that we went to after visiting the famous caves. You know I liked it if I still remember when I first tasted it. 🙂
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I think the stuff from the supermarket is padded out with extra fat. Far better to make your own!
chef mimi
Stephane gets his from the duck guy at the Libourne market! They were superb. Greasy sounds awful.
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I like it because it's delicious and economical and easier than pâté.The weather is gorgeous so we've all been outside gardening a lot! xx
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I like the duck one from the supermarket but it's quite greasy. Pork, duck and goose are really easy to get.
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I agree. Food around the world seems more similar than we think and yet we are still fascinated by food in other countries, at least. I am!
Suzassippi
It is somewhat similar as to how I make shredded pork for my pork and smoked gouda tacos. Isn't that fascinating how each of us does it?
chef mimi
I've eaten rillettes, I think duck with Stephane in France three different times. I couldn't believe he could just buy them at the market! But I love pate as well.
ourfrenchoasis
I shall certainly be making this, I am not a huge pâté fan, but this looks delicious and perfect to have in the fridge for Christmas. Hope you are enjoying this most unseasonal weather! xx
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Love the idea of using a mixer as my arms were really aching! My French friends love this and eat it inpreference to any pate.
chef mimi
I love any kind of rillettes. I only know one person where I live who will eat them. Everyone else thinks I hide liver in the rillettes! It's so annoying! Love your recipe. I made one recipe where a stand mixer was used to shred the pork, and it worked really well!