Author Notes
Inspired by my sister who brought a jar of her homemade rillettes, cooked in a slow cooker. Super easy to make. —HalfPint
Ingredients
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3 pounds
pork butt or pork belly, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
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1 cup
water
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3
bay leaves
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2 teaspoons
whole black peppercorns
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10
whole cloves
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1
small onion, halved & trimmed
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1 tablespoon
salt
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3-5
sprigs of thyme
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salt
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fresh ground black pepper
Directions
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Combined first 8 ingredients into a slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours, then Low for 5-6 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
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Let the mixture cool for about 2 hours. Skim the fat off the surface and reserve in a small bowl or container.
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Take out the meat with a slotted spoon and put into the bowl of a stand mixer. Reserve the rendered fat/cooking juices. With the paddle attachment, beat the meat into a thick paste, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid if the mixture is a bit dry. Alternatively, you can mash the mixture with a wooden spoon (which is a lot of muscle strength involved). Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. At this stage, you can add more spices and seasoning. I added some ground white pepper. But this would be nice with some smoked paprika.
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Pack into clean & sterilized jars. Pour the reserved fat on top of the rillettes to seal. Cover jars with lid and refrigerate for about a week or freeze it (don't over pack if you plan to freeze).
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Serve with crispy crackers or toast and some cornichons and pickled onions.
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