Autumn Tip: Wonderful Lamb Rillettes
·Get some unrendered lard
In the recipe I traditionally use for rillettes, you start with lard cut into cubes and rendered down. This time I was out of luck, though — my favourite butcher didn't have any raw lard, so I used lard that was already rendered.
Brown the meat in the fat
I melted the lard in a pot and added the meat, cut into cubes. Brown the meat thoroughly in the fat it's bathing in, taking care it doesn't burn. Once nicely browned, I added a little water and let it simmer gently under a lid.
Add the seasoning
After three hours, add salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic, onion cut into half-rings (it will completely dissolve during further cooking), and a sprig of sage. Stir and let it simmer for another 3 to 5 hours, this time without the lid, until the meat falls completely apart.
Remove anything solid
If you worked with bone-in meat (duck, for example), now's the time to pick out all the bones, the sage, and anything else that shouldn't end up in the rillettes.
Fill the bowls
Now scoop out the meat with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind, and pack it into your prepared containers. I use small ramekins, but any ceramic dishes, foil trays or jars will work just as well.
Keeps a week in the fridge
Pour the fat left in the pot over the top of the filled containers. Let it cool completely, cover the surface (with plastic wrap, for example) and store in the fridge, where it will keep for about a week.
Or freeze it
If you'd like to keep your rillettes longer, you can freeze it without any problem. Though in our house that's never really an issue — some of the finished treat gets given away, and the rest we eat ourselves.
