It’s got great history, and a sense of exoticism, while still a very frugal dish; we’re talking about rillettes.
The Nation’s Restaurant News website reports that this traditional French food is making its way back onto the American culinary scene. But what, exactly, are rillettes? As the article says, “Larousse Gastronomique, the French food bible…[describes] rillettes in the 1961 edition as ‘a French preparation made of pork, both lean and fat, cut into very small pieces, gently cooked in lard with the usual seasonings and condiments, allowed to cool and pounded in a mortar.’”
Pork cooked in lard? Sounds like a match made in heaven—but the best part about rillettes may be that it is a fantastically economical dish:
“In times of economic malaise, the use of scraps to create an interesting dish is not lost on anyone watching the bottom line. After all, rillettes, like most charcuterie, were created as a way of turning waste into something delicious.”
So don’t throw that scrap of pork away! Instead, put it to good use as a tempting little dish called a rillette. What are some ways you put “scrap” foods to use in your kitchen? Please share your ideas!
