Rillettes with Duck & Pork Belly
Made rillettes today, its a type of French pate that I had when visiting Chris's family in Anger in NW France. It is made traditionally using 50% pork belly and 50% of another meat. I am going to use a recipe from the River Cottage meat book, I have two other recipes but they are more advanced so better try with the easiest and work from there. Any secondary meat can be used with the exception of beef as far as I can see. It is also very popular with rabbit.
Today I'm using our pork belly and one of our ducks that I put in the freezer earlier in the year. I boned out the duck and managed to get 500g of meat so I will match that with 500g of pork belly.
I am making stock out of the remainder of the duck bones and skin.
1.3 kg piece of pork belly...
500g of pork belly cut into cubes with the skin removed...
500g of boned duck...
I put 300g of goose fat from last years geese in a big sauce-pan and let it melt down...
Then the meat is added with the small muslin sack of 3 cloves, 3 bay leaves and a teaspoon of thyme leaves and left to cook slowly on a very low heat. The liquid show be slightly moving but not bubbling.
Its then left for around 4 hours until the meat is fully cooked and starts to fall apart. When it is ready you use 2 forks to shred the meat and pull it apart.
After it has settled for a few minutes, the jars are topped up to the brim with melted goose fat to preserve it and then the boiled lids are tightly screwed on.
The finished product, best stored in a cold pantry and should last for up to 6 months.
