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Rillettes

Rillettes duMans
Type	Spread
Place of origin	France
Main ingredients	Meat (pork,goose,duck,chicken,game birds,rabbit),salt,fat
Media: Rillettes

Rillettes (/rɪˈlɛts,riˈjɛt/,alsoUK:/ˈriːjɛt/,French:[ʁijɛt]) is a preservation method similar toconfit in which meat is seasoned, submerged in fat, and cooked slowly over the course of four to ten hours.^[1] The meat is shredded and packed into sterile containers covered in fat. Rillettes is traditionally made withgoose orduck, and are commercially most commonly made with pork, but also made with other meats such aschicken,game birds,rabbit and sometimes withfish such asanchovies,tuna,pike orsalmon. Rillettes are typically served at room temperature spread thickly on toasted bread.

Sarthe (Le Mans),Tours, andAnjou, all in central France, are notable sources of rillettes.

The termrillette can refer to the final product and its appearance when spread on sliced bread. Rillettes were traditionally made with fattypork belly or pork shoulder. The meat was cubed, salted and cured, cooked slowly over low heat until very tender, then raked into small shreds and blended with the warm cooking fat to form a rustic paste. Rillettes could be stored in crocks for several months. InAnjou, rillaud was a speciality, plated in the shape of a pyramid and topped with the pig's tail; the rillettes were proudly displayed to the guest of honor. In time the rillette cooking style was applied to game birds, wild rabbit, and fish. Eventually several preparations for seafood rillettes were developed including an anchovy, tuna, and salmon version. Though the fish is not typically cooked in the fat, it is blended with fat to form the characteristic paste-spread. The soft, smooth texture is a deciding factor in determining a good rillette dish.

Likecassoulet orfondue, this French dish has its many regional definitions. In general most rillettes are served at room temperature, as a spread withtoast points, much like a pâté. Pork rillettes from the northwestern regions of Tours and Anjou are famous for the rich texture and bronze color achieved during the cooking process.Rabelais called rillettes "brown pig jam" (brune confiture de cochon).^[2] Rillettes from the adjacentdépartement ofSarthe are distinguished by a more rustic texture, complete with larger pieces of pork and less color.

In Quebec,cretons are similar to rillettes.

The French wordrillettes is first evidenced in 1845. It derives from theOld Frenchrille, meaning a slice of pork, which is first attested in 1480. This is a dialect variation of the Old Frenchreille, meaning a lath or strip of wood, from theLatinregula.^[3]

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