AI-generated
Slow-Cooked Pork Spread
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Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/snacks/slow-cooked-pork-spread
About this recipe
This French pork spread is slowly cooked and pulled into tender strands. The shoulder gives it a meaty texture, while fresh pork belly and lard keep it creamy and easy to spread after chilling. Garlic, thyme and bay leaf cook gently with the meat, without deep browning. Patience is key: the pieces should fall apart under a fork before you combine them with the fat and concentrated cooking juices. Do not blend the meat into a smooth paste, as short, distinct strands are part of the spread's character. Plan to make it the day before. An overnight rest in the refrigerator lets it set, and a brief rest before serving softens it again.
Ingredients
Meat and aromatics
600 g raw pork shoulder without bones or skin, weighed after trimming tough membranes, with its natural fat left on
400 g raw fresh pork belly, unsalted, uncured and unsmoked, weighed without bones, skin or cartilage, with its natural fat left on
80 g pure rendered unsalted pork lard without cracklings, all retained in the spread
250 ml water for braising, some of which evaporates; remaining cooking juices stay in the spread
10 g raw peeled garlic, about 2 cloves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, about 2 g, removed after braising
1 dried bay leaf, about 0.2 g, removed after braising
12 g fine salt
2 g ground black pepper
Steps
Weigh the shoulder and pork belly after removing bones, skin, cartilage and tough membranes. Leave the natural fat on and cut the meat into cubes about 3 cm across. Lightly crush the peeled garlic with the flat side of a knife. Rinse the thyme sprigs.
Melt the lard over low heat in a heavy-bottomed pot with a well-fitting lid. Add the meat, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Pour in all the water and stir. Heat for about 5–10 minutes, until the liquid begins to simmer very gently; do not brown the meat.
Cover and braise over the lowest heat for about 3½–3¾ hours. The liquid should barely simmer, not boil vigorously. Every 30–40 minutes, stir the meat from the bottom and cover tightly again; reduce the heat if it boils too hard. Toward the end, the pieces should fall apart easily under a fork; braise longer if they still resist. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Uncover and heat for about 5–10 minutes more, stirring to evaporate excess watery juices. Thick juices and liquid fat should remain at the bottom, and the meat should stay moist, without browning or frying dry.
AI-generated Take the pot off the heat. Transfer the meat to a wide bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving all the fat and cooking juices in the pot. Transfer the garlic with the meat and mash it. Use two forks to pull the warm pieces into short, distinct strands. Do not use a blender or meat grinder.
AI-generated Return the pulled meat to the pot and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon into all the reserved juices and fat. Do not pour anything off: both the added lard and the fat rendered from the meat stay in the spread. The mixture should be moist and cohesive, with visible strands; it will be looser while warm than after chilling.
AI-generated Divide the spread among clean, shallow containers in a layer no more than about 4 cm deep. Leave for about 20 minutes, until it stops steaming heavily, then refrigerate while still warm; do not cool the whole mixture in the pot on the counter. Chill for at least 12 hours. After the first hour of chilling, stir briefly with a clean spoon, smooth the surface and cover the containers to keep the fat evenly distributed. Do not add a separate layer of lard on top.
Take out only the portion you plan to serve about 10 minutes beforehand so it spreads more easily. The finished spread should be firm when chilled but soft under a knife, with noticeable strands of meat. Leave the rest in the refrigerator.
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