Pork Rillettes Recipe – Homemade French Pork Spread
- Type
- Pâté & terrine
- Level
- Easy
- Rating
- Rate this recipe
In this article I show you how to make pork rillette yourself. It is a classic spread of the French cuisine.
Rillette is traditionally made from pork, goose or duck. But you can also make it with fish. With a few ingredients you can make something super tasty.
You can eat your rillette on tasty white bread like a baguette. No matter if it is for an apéritif, picnic or for dinner, the rillette always makes a good impression.
Ok now let’s start with the pork rillette recipe. You can watch the instructions via video or read them below. The preparation takes about 3 hours.
Have fun making it and good luck!
Table of Contents
Pork Rillette – What do you need to make it?
Ingredients per 1 kg
| Ingredient | Grams | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| pork shoulder | 600 g | 60 % |
| pork belly | 400 g | 40 % |
Spices per 1 kg
| Ingredient | Grams |
|---|---|
| water | 200 ml |
| salt | 18 g |
| sprigs fresh thyme | 4 |
| bay leaves | 3 |
| ground nutmeg | 2 g |
| squeeze of lemon juice | 1 |
| pepper to taste | — |
Also, 200 ml water.
The equipment to make pork rillette
Jars for preserving
You need to put the final rillette in a container or jar to preserve it.
Baking Dish
To cook your meat in the oven, you need a baking dish that is suitable for oven baking.
Make pork rillette – Step-By-Step Instructions
Cut the pork shoulder & belly into cubes (around 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm). Make sure that they are about the same size.
Half of the meat is now placed in an oven dish. Then spread the thyme, bay leaves and spices over the meat.
Now put the rest of the meat into the mold and pour the water over it.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven at 135 °C (275 °F) for at least 2.5 hours.
Take the dish out of the oven 3-4 times or every 30-45 minutes and mix it. Make sure that the meat is evenly distributed and check for doneness.
Once the meat is cooked, you can pull it apart with a fork or mash it with a spatula or use a food processor.
Tip: I recommend doing this by hand instead of the food processor. It will yield a better texture.
Separate the meat from the juices because you do not need all of it later.
Press the meat and so that the mixture becomes nice and creamy. If you need, also pull apart bigger chunks with a fork.
Now add some discarded juice, the salt, pepper and lemon to the mixture.
Depending on your taste, you can add more seasoning to the mixture. If the mixture is still too firm, just add some more of the juices.
You can now fill your finished mixture into glasses. Make sure that there are no air bubbles in it.
Fill the remaining fat juice on top of the meat mixture. This way the rillette is sealed and has a longer shelf life
Your delicious rillette is ready. Let it cool down and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
What is a rillette, exactly?
What is a rillette, exactly?
A rillette is meat cooked slowly in its own fat until it gives up and falls apart, then pulled into threads and packed into a jar under a layer of that fat. Nothing is minced and nothing is emulsified. The whole method is patience — you are not cooking the meat through, you are cooking it past the point where it still holds together.
The fat on top is part of the method rather than a garnish: step 11 says filling the remaining fat juice over the meat is what seals the jar. Keep the rillette in the fridge and use it within 2–3 weeks. And the texture is what steps 6 and 8 are working for — the meat is pulled apart by hand rather than put through the food processor, the tip step 6 gives, and then pressed only until the mixture is creamy.
How long is the shelf life of the pork rillette?
How long is the shelf life of the pork rillette?
Sealed airtight under its fat, keep the rillette in the fridge and use it within 2–3 weeks. As always, when you open it: see – smell – taste!
When opened, the rillette should be stored in the refrigerator. It will last for approx. 1 week. But I can promise you, because it is super delicious, it will not survive that long ????.
