Slow-Cooked Pork Rillettes with Cornichons and Toasted Sourdough

⏱ 270 min · Serves 8

Pork shoulder cooked low and slow in its own fat with garlic, thyme and white wine, then shredded into a silky, spreadable potted meat. Sealed under a cap of lard, it keeps for a week and only gets better — serve cold with sharp cornichons, mustard and hot sourdough toast.

Per serving: 585 kcal · 29.0g protein · 24.0g carbs · 42.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1.2kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4cm chunks
• 200g pork back fat or lard, diced (plus extra melted lard for sealing)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 150ml dry white wine
• 150ml water or light chicken stock
• 1 small onion, halved
• 2 tbsp brandy (optional)
• 1 jar cornichons (about 200g), drained
• Dijon mustard, to serve
• 1 sourdough loaf, thickly sliced
• Flaky salt and cracked black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan. Toss the pork chunks with the fine salt, white pepper, allspice and nutmeg.
2. Put the pork and diced pork fat in a heavy casserole with the garlic, thyme, bay, onion, wine and water. It should be barely covered — add a splash more water if needed.
3. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3.5–4 hours, until the pork collapses under a spoon and is swimming in clear fat.
4. Lift the meat out with a slotted spoon into a wide bowl. Strain the cooking liquid into a jug and let it settle for 10 minutes, then spoon off and reserve the clear fat separately from the dark juices below. Discard the aromatics.
5. Shred the warm pork with two forks into fine strands — no lumps, but don't turn it to paste. Beat in the brandy, if using, then work in the dark juices a spoonful at a time, followed by enough of the reserved fat to make it rich, loose and glossy (about 100–150ml).
6. Season generously with salt and pepper — taste it warm, then again cooler, as fat mutes salt. It should taste slightly over-seasoned when warm.
7. Pack into a terrine or 4 small jars, pressing out air pockets. Level the tops, cool completely, then pour over a 5mm layer of melted lard or reserved fat to seal. Chill at least 12 hours, ideally 2 days, for the flavour to settle.
8. Take the rillettes out of the fridge 30–40 minutes before serving so they're spreadable. Griddle or toast thick slices of sourdough until charred at the edges.
9. Serve the pot as is with a knife stuck in it, a heap of cornichons, Dijon, flaky salt and the hot toast alongside.