Pork Rillettes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between pâté and rillette? ›

While rillette has a chunky texture, pâtés have a smoother texture. Another difference is in the type of meat that is found in rillettes and pâtés. Pâtés are made from meat such as liver, while rillette is made from chunks of meat harvested from a leg, breast, rib, or thigh.

Rillettes are best served at room temperature spread thickly on toasted bread. Don't forget to eat with cornichon and a smear of Dijon mustard. Rillettes also make amazing salads and even quiches. p.s. Add the duck legs if you have them or leave them out if you don't - great either way.

The French word rillettes is first evidenced in 1845. It derives from the Old French rille, meaning a slice of pork, which is first attested in 1480. This is a dialect variation of the Old French reille, meaning a lath or strip of wood, from the Latin regula.

Rillettes are pork, chicken, or duck meat (it can also be fish) that's been chopped or shredded, cooked in its own fat, minced, and mixed with some of the fat from the cooking process. Rillette's texture is loose with threads of meat visible.

Traditionally made with liver, and mixed with wine and spices until it's cooked down into a spreadable texture, pâté can also be created with liver or other parts of pork, venison, chicken, fish, duck and other game, and even created with veggies on occasion.

Smooth the top over with the back of a spoon, then pour some remaining fat on top and seal the jar. That fat will help keep bacteria out of the rillettes and prevent the top surface from oxidizing. Stored in the refrigerator this way, rillettes should last at least a few weeks.

Pork rillettes may be served informally with an assortment of compotes, mustards, pickles and a loaf of country bread for a wine country-inspired picnic. The rich, savory flavors pair beautifully with the spice and fruit notes in Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon.

When the meat is finely and evenly shredded, transfer the rillettes to a large bowl, cover with a piece of paper greased with pork fat and refrigerate. They are best left to ripen for a few days in the fridge. Serve chilled or at room temperature, or gently warmed until the fat runs.

Rillettes are best eaten after a few days when the flavors have melded, although they are also tasty straight away. The rillettes will keep in the fridge for at least 2 months, and much longer if they are entirely covered in fat with no air gaps.

Rillettes are a type of slow-cooked meat, and these mouthwatering pork morsels are the result of rich, tender pork shoulder that's been cooked in its own fat and hand-chopped, brightened by fresh ginger and herbs, and gently warmed with baking spices.

What do the French call pork? ›

So the Anglo-Saxon pig became the French porc, which was Anglicized to pork; the Anglo-Saxon cow became the French boeuf, which became beef; and sheep became mouton, (later mutton).

They are, quite simply, delicious. Spread rillettes on toasted baguette, sprinkle lightly with freshly cracked black pepper and salt for a quick, easy appetizer. For a bold flavor or gourmet appetizer spread the toasts with fig jam; the sweet jam and pork work so well together.

Rillettes has a rich, fatty flavor that is offset by a touch of acidity. The texture is smooth and creamy, with a slight graininess from the shredded meat. There is also a hint of smokiness from the cooking process. Overall, rillettes is an intensely flavorful experience that is sure to satisfy anyone's hunger.

Confit is essentially slow poaching in oil or fat, rillettes are a rough pâté — when I make pâtés they will be in this category, too. I also included coppa di testa, or headcheese, because it is considered part of the overall charcuterie craft.

Pâtés, Mousses, and Terrines: What's the difference? These words are typically used casually but they are all used interchangeably to refer to a baked ground mixture of meat, poultry or game ingredients (and sometimes vegetable and seafood as well), that have been combined with spices and a liquor.

Pâté is often made of pig meat and parts, but wild game like snipe, partridge, venison or wild boar can be cooked into a pâté, as can farm-raised duck, rabbit or pheasant. Even vegetables can be made into pâté. Lean meats might require the addition of some pork fat to keep the pâté from drying out in the oven.

The term pâté is also used, with modifiers, to denote two other distinct preparations: pâté en terrine, a meat, game, or fish mixture wrapped in suet or other animal fat or lining and cooked in a deep oval or oblong dish, without pastry, and served cold; and pâté en croûte, a meat, game, or fish filling cooked in a ...

Pâté in French means "paste" which denotes a culinary preparation made of ground meat or fish with different seasonings. Since its origin in France, pâté is primarily categorized into two types: pâté en croûte, which is baked inside a pastry dough, and crustless pâté en terrine (cooked inside a mold).