Grillons charentais

Name: Grillons charentais
Total time: 180 min
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Poitou-Charentes
Ingredients: 1.2 kg (2⅔ lb) pork belly; 400 g (14 oz) pork jowl; 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) dry white wine; 2 bay leaves; 3 garlic cloves; 1 tsp quatre-épices (French four-spice); 1 tsp fleur de sel; 1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Charentes grillons, pork rillettes

⏱ 180 minServes 8Medium920 kcal

A recipe from Le Chaudron — the cooking of France’s regions.

01 — Ingredients8 servings

1.2 kg (2.6 lb)pork belly
400 g (14 oz)pork jowl
200 ml (¾ cup)dry white wine
2 leavesbay leaf
3 clovesgarlic
1 tspfour-spice blend (quatre-épices)
1 tspfleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
1 tspfreshly ground pepper

1.2 kg (2.6 lb) pork belly
400 g (14 oz) pork jowl
200 ml (¾ cup) dry white wine
2 leaves bay leaf
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp four-spice blend (quatre-épices)
1 tsp fleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Serves 8. In the app, quantities adjust to the number of guests on their own — and the ingredients go straight to your shopping list.

02 — Equipment

1 large cast-iron Dutch oven, 30 cm (12 in)

1 sharp knife

1 cutting board (40 cm / 16 in)

4 glass jars, 250 ml (8 oz)

03 — Method

Cut the pork belly and jowl into even 3 cm (1¼ in) cubes, then remove the garlic germs and lightly crush the cloves.
Put the pork in the cast-iron Dutch oven with the garlic, bay leaf, four-spice, fleur de sel and pepper, and mix well.
Add the dry white wine and a small glass of water and start cooking over low heat, uncovered, so the meat slowly renders its fat and confits in it.
Cook 2½ hours over very low heat, stirring now and then, until the meat is golden and very tender in its own fat.
Roughly mash part of the meat with a fork, leaving some pieces whole.
Divide among the jars, cover with a little cooking fat, let cool and set in the fridge, then spread on toast.