Meat rillettes using pork recipe

By delicious. team

Serves 6-8 as a starter
Takes 10 minutes to make and 3½ hours to cook, plus cooling and chilling
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Rillettes (pronounced ree-yets) is the French word for meat or fish that has been gently cooked, then shredded and potted with a layer of its juices and fat on top to preserve it. A scrumptious make-ahead starter, it’s always served cold with toasts and relishes.

Ingredients

1.5kg boned and skinned pork belly, cut into 2cm pieces
4 rashers streaky smoked bacon, rind removed and cut into 2cm pieces
6 juniper berries
6 black peppercorns
2 fat garlic cloves, sliced
2 large fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 heaped tsp sea salt
250ml dry white wine

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/fan130°C/gas 2. Put the pork and bacon in a large casserole. Lightly crush the berries and peppercorns, add to the casserole with the garlic, herbs and salt. Pour over the wine and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3½ hours or until the pork is completely tender.
2. Pour the casserole into a colander set over a bowl. Discard the herbs. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into a bowl, season, then pack into sterilised jars.
3. Cool. Pour over a layer of the strained liquid/fat, then chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. Serve at room temperature with toasts and pickled red onion (see the Know How section), caperberries and gherkins. The rillettes will keep, chilled, for up to 2 weeks.