Pork Rillettes

By Mark Bittman

Updated May 1, 2024

Pork Rillettes
Yunhee Kim for The New York Times; Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Deborah Williams.
Total Time
3 hours
Cook Time
2½ to 3 hours
Rating
5(197)
Comments
Read comments

There’s nothing like a dip to please a crowd, as Mark Bittman wrote in 2011. There are the classics, of course: your French onion dips and potted shrimp. And then there’s rillettes. “Rillettes are incredible: smooth, fatty and intensely flavored,” he wrote. It’s not a fast recipe, with the pork shoulder cooking down for almost 3 hours, but with some patience, you’ll have something Mr. Bittman described as a “showstopper.”

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings
  • 20 to 25black peppercorns
  • 4allspice berries
  • 2cloves
  • 8coriander seeds
  • 2pounds fatty, boneless pork shoulder or leg, cut into chunks
  • Salt
  • 1garlic clove, lightly crushed
  • 1bay leaf
  • 1sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2cups unsalted chicken stock
  • Crackers, toasted baguette slices or bread for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

307 calories; 22 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 422 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 275º. Put the peppercorns, allspice, cloves and coriander in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder and process until finely ground. Put the pork in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven and sprinkle with salt and the spice mixture. Add the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary and stock and put the pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cover and put the pot in the oven. Cook, checking every now and then, until the pork is falling apart and beginning to caramelize and the stock has almost entirely evaporated (remove the cover if necessary to get the liquid to evaporate; the bottom of the pot should be just about all melted fat when you’re done), 2½ to 3 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Strain the mixture; reserve the fat and discard the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary and any gristle. Transfer the pork to a bowl and mash it into small shreds with the back of a fork. Add ¼ cup of the reserved fat and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if you like (keep in mind that the colder you serve the rillettes, the less salty they will taste). Pack the rillettes into a mason jar or another container and refrigerate (covered tightly, they will keep for at least a week). Serve cold or at room temperature.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
197 user ratings
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Comments

Philippe Barré

Use 1/2 stock 1/2 white wine (not too aromatic: sauvignon, chardonnay or even better, chenin blanc).
And don't forget thyme !!
After packing the rillettes into container, cover with 1/2 inch of fat (the rillettes will keep longer in the fridge...or you can put them in the deep-freeze for several months).
Don't forget a dry white (Vouvray is great) or rosé from the Loire Valley (Chinon... but I'm a bit chauvinistic).

Jacqueline

Speaking as a French native, these are very authentic. I would suggest in step 2 pouring the mixture in a stand mixer bowl and porocessing on low until you like the consistency - it makes it easier to separate the meat you want to keep from the gristle and other extraneous bits too - tip I saw from a French charcutier.

Alex

This leaves out a few things. When packaging, use very clean jars, forks and hands. Use the fork to get all the air out of the jar, and pack the top flat. Might put a small bay leaf flat on top; cover with 1/4 inch layer of warm pork fat or melted butter.

Serve with warm grilled country bread sized to the amount of rillettes, grainy + dijon mustard, some cornichons and small pickled onions, and a bright red wine - a great Burgundy goes fine, or anything Rhone or Loire will suffice. Salad.

Natalia Mule

This is spectacular! I combined the Les Halles rilletes recipe with this one and the outcome was glorious! Also used the food processor to shred the meat but made sure it didn’t get mushy. Very excited to whip out as an appetizer for our Easter dinner!

Ann R.

From Philippe Barré: Use 1/2 stock 1/2 white wine (not too aromatic: sauvignon, chardonnay or even better, chenin blanc). And don't forget thyme !! After packing the rillettes into container, cover with 1/2 inch of fat (the rillettes will keep longer in the fridge...or you can put them in the deep-freeze for several months). Don't forget a dry white (Vouvray is great) or rosé from the Loire Valley (Chinon... but I'm a bit chauvinistic).

CB

25 black pepper berries measures 1/2 tsp ungrounded

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