Rillettes
Rillettes is meat, often pork or duck, cooked slowly in its own fat until it shreds, then packed into jars as a spread. See how to make and store it.
Also called Pork rillettes, Duck rillettes.
Rillettes is a French spread of meat that has been cooked very slowly in fat until it falls apart, then shredded and mixed with some of that fat. It is packed into jars or pots and served cold, spread on bread or toast. Pork is the classic. Duck, goose, rabbit and even salmon are also used.
How to do it
- Cut about 1 kg (2 lb) of fatty pork shoulder or belly into large chunks. Season well with salt.
- Put it in a heavy pot with a little water, garlic, thyme, a bay leaf and black pepper. Add some lard or duck fat if the meat is lean.
- Cover and cook in a 140 to 150°C (275 to 300°F) oven for 3 to 4 hours, or on the stove at a bare simmer. This is close to making a confit.
- When the meat falls apart, lift it out and shred it with two forks. Do not blend it.
- Strain the fat. Mix enough of it back into the meat to make a soft, spreadable mix. Taste and season boldly.
- Pack it into clean jars and pour a thin layer of melted fat over the top to seal.
- Chill until set, at least a few hours.
How to tell it is done
The meat is soft enough to pull apart with a fork with no effort. The finished rillettes holds together on a knife but spreads easily at room temperature.
How to store it
Cool it quickly and keep it in the fridge, following safe cooling rules. With an unbroken fat seal it keeps about a week. Once you break the seal, eat it within a few days. It also freezes well.
Common mistakes
- Cooking too hot. The meat fries and toughens instead of melting.
- Blending it. That makes a pâté, not rillettes. The shreds are the point.
- Under-seasoning. It is served cold, which mutes salt.
- Serving it straight from the fridge. Let it soften for 20 to 30 minutes.
In recipes
The word is plural in French but used for one dish. It is a staple of a French charcuterie board, served with cornichons and crusty bread.
Where it comes from
Rillettes is linked to the Loire Valley, especially the town of Tours and the Sarthe area around Le Mans.
Related terms
- ConfitConfit is food cooked slowly in fat at a low heat until meltingly tender, then often stored in that fat. Duck confit and garlic confit are the classics.
- PâtéPâté is a rich spread or loaf of finely ground meat, liver and fat, seasoned and cooked. See how chicken liver pâté is made and how long it keeps.
- CharcuterieCharcuterie is cured, smoked and cooked meat such as ham, salami, pâté and rillettes, often served on a board. See what to buy and how to serve it.
- Slow-cookSlow-cooking simmers food for hours at a low, steady heat, usually in an electric slow cooker or low oven, until tough meat and dried beans turn tender.
- Cooling food safelyCooling food safely means getting hot leftovers cold fast so bacteria cannot grow. Split big batches, use shallow containers and chill within 2 hours.