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Country Cooking
of France
by Anne Willan
Half-Timbered Houses, Old Town, Tours, Loire Valley, France
Photographic Print
Hughes, David
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Chateau de Chambord, Loire Valley, France
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La Belle Cuisine
Rillettes and Rillons
French Regional Cooking
by Anne Willan and l’Ecole de Cuisine
La Varenne, 1981,
William Morrow and Co., Inc.
 
“
‘Rillettes’ and ‘rillons’ are very much a Loire specialty, though rillettes,
often of indifferent quality, are found in charcuteries throughout France.
They date back
at least to the 15th century and are simplicity itself to
make. Half pâté, half purée, rillettes are usually made from fat pork. The
proportions of fat to lean vary from
half to almost equal. The meat is baked
very slowly in a closed pot until it falls
apart, in much the same manner as
English potted meat. It is then shredded with
a fork, mixed back into the
melted fat and left to set. Very little seasoning is
added – salt, pepper
and perhaps a little spice. The rillettes of Tours are leaner
than those of
Le Mans, which have quite big and delicious chunks of fat in them.
The best rillettes have an attractive rough texture with none of the glutinous
consistency which results from using poor-quality scraps instead of prime
meat.
Any fatty cut of meat will do for rillettes, providing it is of good
quality; for many years rillettes have been made with rabbit, duck and, best
of all, with goose as
well
as with pork. Nowadays some restaurants offer
so-called rillettes of salmon
and mackerel. These are usually mixtures of
flaked fish with butter but, delicious
though they may be, their only
resemblance to true rillettes is their slightly rough texture.
Rillons, also called rillauds or rillots, are cubes of pork measuring 5-6
cm/
2-2 1/2 inches after cooking, that are baked very slowly, like rillettes,
in a closed
pot. Sometimes the meat is salted and left for a few hours to
pickle slightly before cooking, and often bones are left in the meat to add flavour. However, rillons are cooked only until tender, not soft. Like
rillettes, rillons need the best pork, and
the ‘blanc de l’ouest’ pigs
raised north of Angers are considered particularly fine
for the purpose. Rillons made with ham are a specialty of Vendôme, on the
northern edge
of
the Loire valley.
In a menu rillettes and rillons occupy the same place as a terrine and are
served
in the same way, with crusty bread. Rillons are often preferred hot
with fried
apple rings or mustard and with mashed potato; one excellent way
of reheating
them is to flame them in brandy, which balances their richness.
In some areas
of the Loire, rillons taken with a glass of white wine still
form a hearty farmers' breakfast.”
Rillettes de Tours
“Different cities have different versions of this dish. In Tours they are
made
of pure pork; half of the lean pork in this recipe is replaced with an
equal
quantity of goose to make ‘rillettes du Mans’, or with an equal
quantity
of rabbit for ‘rillettes d’Orleans’. Serve rillettes at room
temperature as a
spread for fresh bread or toast; gherkin pickles and black
olives are the
traditional accompaniments.”
Serves 12 as a
first course
3 1/2 pounds (1.6 kg) lean pork,
including a few bones
2 pounds (900 g) fat pork
5 teaspoons (25 g) salt
2 teaspoons (10 g) ground pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups (500 ml) water,
more if needed
Set the oven at low (160 degrees C/320 degrees F). Cut the lean and fat pork
in 5-cm/2-inch cubes and put them in a large heavy pot. Add the salt,
pepper, nutmeg, allspice, thyme, bay leaves and three-quarters of the water
and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover tightly and cook in
the oven, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 hours or until all the fat has
melted and is clear. As the liquid evaporates, add more water gradually to
prevent the meat from sticking. Rillettes should cook slowly; never let them
boil in the oven.
Drain the pork, discarding the bay leaves. Reserve the fat
and leave it to cool. Shred the meat with two forks, discarding the bones.
When the fat is nearly cold, mix it with the meat; taste for seasoning. Pack
the rillettes into glass jars or stone crocks, cover with waxed paper and
tie the paper in place with string. Store in a cool, dry place for at least
2 days before serving. If sealed with a layer of melted lard, rillettes can
be kept for up to 2 weeks.
Rillons, Rillauds or Rillots
Serves 10 as a
first course
“
‘Rillons d’oie’ are a variation of the classic pork rillons, made
by substituting boned goose meat for the pork in this recipe.”
4 1/2 pounds (2 kg) fresh breast or
belly of pork, without
bones
2 tablespoons (30 g) lard or oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
1 tablespoon (15 g) salt
Pepper
Pinch of ground allspice (optional)
1 bay leaf
Pinch of thyme
Cut the meat into 7 cm-/3-inch cubes. Heat the lard in a
large, shallow,
heavy-based pot, add the pork and brown on all sides over
medium heat.
Add the water, salt, pepper, allspice, bay leaf and thyme.
Cover tightly and cook over a low fire, stirring often (but being careful
not to breakup the pieces of meat) for 2 hours or until the meat is just
tender but not falling apart. Taste for seasoning.
If the rillons are to be served hot, remove the meat from the
fat, drain briefly on paper towels and serve. Reserve the fat for other
uses.
If the rillons are to be eaten cold, put the meat in jars or
stone crocks and pour over enough of the fat to cover it. If well sealed
with fat, rillons can
be kept in a cool place for up to 2 weeks. Scrape or
melt off excess fat
before serving.
Featured Archive Recipes:
Rillettes of Pork and Duck
Braised Pork Shoulder with Tomatoes,
Fennel and Olives
Pork Chops with Mustard and
Bacon (Anne Willan)
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