Pork confit
These cubes of pork confit, also called rillons, can be seared in a pan and served hot with a salad. If you have trouble finding high quality lard, use small dices of pork fat. It will melt during the slow cooking and make a nice lard.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork belly
- 4 Tbsp coarse sea salt
- 1½ cup lard or pork fat
- 8 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp thyme
- 2 Tbsp black peppercorns
- 6 allspice berries
Method
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1
Cut pork belly into 3 X 3 in cubes. Rub with salt. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate 24 hours.
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2
The following day, preheat oven to 250 °F.
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3
Place lard or pork fat in an ovenproof pot. Add pork and spices. Cover (with a lid or aluminum foil) and place on the center rack of the oven. Cook until the meat is tender and swimming in its own fat, between 2 and 2½ hours. After the first hour, check to make sure the pork is still immersed in the oil.
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4
Remove dish from the oven and let rest for a few hours until it reaches room temperature. Place pork in individual plastic bags with ¼ cup of fat. Press out any air in the bags as you close them. Refrigerate if you plan on eating them within the next 15 days; otherwise, freeze them.
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5
Filter fat into a jar and refrigerate. You can also freeze the bouillon found at the bottom of the dish and add it to soups. Be careful- it is flavorful but quite salty.
A variation of the Duck Confit from The Spice Trekkers Cook at Home
