One of the highlights of life in the Dordogne is the lunches eaten outside. My last al fresco meal of 2010 took place in late November, while the first of 2011 was in early February. Supper is still eaten inside by the fire, but at midday the sun is warm enough to sit outside in a teeshirt, so lunch happens in the courtyard. There's nothing better than a simple lunch of bread, homemade rilettes, and cornichons to cut through the richness of the coarse meat.
This recipe comes from Nigel Slater, whose no-nonsense instructions always work, and usually with less fuss than you'd think possible.
The recipe
Put 1kg of skinned and boned belly pork in a roasting tin, rub a 1 tbsp of salt over, drop in 3 bay leaves, 3 sprigs of thyme, 3 whole garlic cloves and 250ml of water. Cover, then leave in the oven at 160C/gas mark 1 for 3 hours or until the pork is tender. Lift the meat from its juices then tear into very fine shreds with a couple of forks. Pack tightly into a china or earthenware bowl. Pour the liquid in the roasting tin through a sieve over the rillettes and mix lightly. Leave to cool, then refrigerate until the fat has set. Serve with toast and cornichon, or perhaps a few pickled green chillies. Serves 8.
Tips
Choose pork with plenty of fat. Long, slow cooking is vital. Removing the meat from the bone with a fork will help keep the fibres separate. Don't use a food processor, as the texture will end up too smooth.
Recipe from The Observer.
This recipe comes from Nigel Slater, whose no-nonsense instructions always work, and usually with less fuss than you'd think possible.
The recipe
Put 1kg of skinned and boned belly pork in a roasting tin, rub a 1 tbsp of salt over, drop in 3 bay leaves, 3 sprigs of thyme, 3 whole garlic cloves and 250ml of water. Cover, then leave in the oven at 160C/gas mark 1 for 3 hours or until the pork is tender. Lift the meat from its juices then tear into very fine shreds with a couple of forks. Pack tightly into a china or earthenware bowl. Pour the liquid in the roasting tin through a sieve over the rillettes and mix lightly. Leave to cool, then refrigerate until the fat has set. Serve with toast and cornichon, or perhaps a few pickled green chillies. Serves 8.
Tips
Choose pork with plenty of fat. Long, slow cooking is vital. Removing the meat from the bone with a fork will help keep the fibres separate. Don't use a food processor, as the texture will end up too smooth.
Recipe from The Observer.
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