Quatre Épices, French for “four spices," is a widely used seasoning blend in France and the Middle East, commonly found in charcuterie but also in breads and casseroles. This classic version of a French rillette spread is delicious on crostini with a sweet and sour compote or cornichons and mustard.
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 140 min
Total time: 170 min
Ingredients
Makes 3 cups
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2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
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1 Pound Pork Shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
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1 Pound Pork Belly, cut into 1-inch pieces
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1 1/2 Teaspoons Quatre Spices
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4 Shallots, halved
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2 Cloves Garlic
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1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
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1/2 Cup Madeira Wine
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1/2 Cup Marsala Wine
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1 Quart Chicken Stock
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2 Thyme Sprigs
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1 Celery Stalk, cut in half
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1/2 Teaspoon Organic Whole Black Peppercorns
Directions
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Preheat oven to 300°F.
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Place Dutch oven over medium high heat and add olive oil. Rub pork cubes with quatre épices, add to pan with shallots and garlic, and season with salt. Cook until everything starts to brown.
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Add Madeira and Marsala wines. Stir well with wooden spoon, scraping bottom of pan to dislodge any browned bits. Cook until wine is almost gone, then add chicken stock.
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Wrap thyme, celery, black pepper and clove in sachet bag tied with string. Add sachet to Dutch oven, cover and bake for 2 hours or until meat is fork tender.
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Remove meat from Dutch oven, reserving liquid and discarding sachet bag. Chill liquid in flat container to speed process of separating fat from stock.
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Using forks, shred all meat into very fine pieces and place in bowl.
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When chilled cooking liquid has separated, skim fat off and reserve. Amount of fat produced will vary, and so will amount added to pork.
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Begin adding 1 tablespoon fat and 1 tablespoon stock to shredded pork, mixing well with hands and continuing process until desired consistency and flavor is achieved.
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Pack rillettes into container of appropriate size, and cover top with some reserved fat. Refrigerate and keep for up to 2 weeks.