12411 Confit of Pork Makes 3 Quarts Wed Aug 06 01:06:20 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 02:41:08 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12411 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:41:08 GMT

Où il y a un beau cochon, il y a une bonne ménagère.

(Where there is a beautiful fat pig, there is a good home cook.)

Southwest French saying

“You Mustn't Write your book until you witness the ritual killing of a pig,” chef Alain Dutournier told me. “That's how you'll understand how important pigs are to us. They're one of the pillars of our cuisine. When we kill a pig, we know we'll have food on our table for months: bacon, ham, salt pork, confits, sausages … so, please, go back to the countryside and see how we do the slaughter.”

I did not take his suggestion. I couldn't bring myself to watch such a thing after so many years of witnessing the ritual slaughter of lambs in Morocco. But the process has been described to me in great detail, and Dutournier is absolutely right about its importance. There is a mystical feeling about these beasts on the farms of the Southwest, similar to the way bread is regarded in some other parts of France. The pig itself is held in high esteem. Zette Guinaudeau-Franc remarks that the word porc is rarely used: “We always refer to him [the pig] as le cochon, or, with respect, le monsieur, or in patois, lou moussur.”

The cult of the pig is exemplified in numerous proverbs: “Where there is a beautiful pig, you will find a good soup.” “Seven hours of sleep for a man, eight for a woman, and nine for a pig!” “Four legs—four seasons!” signifying that a single pig can provide a family's food for an entire year.

“Nothing is lost with me,” says the pig in a fable. In fact, this is true; all its parts are used, from the snout to the tail, including the skin, the feet, the ears, and the blood. There are so many different preparations for the various parts of the pig that in the Southwest, the art of charcuterie is a vast study in itself, including not only sausages, hams, pâtés, rillettes, andouilles, and boudins (both black and white) but also a unique regional dish: “the glory of the Southwest,” confit.

I believe confit of pork is one of the best ways to treat the lean pork we've developed in the United States. The confit process creates moist, tender, and flavorful pork simply through the use of good-tasting pork fat and slow cooking. Of course, if the pork has been raised outdoors on natural feed, it will only be better! Shoulder makes the best confit, but other pieces can be used as well. If you are not satisfied with your locally accessible pork, you might consider contacting Niman Ranch (see Mail Order Sources, pages 415–417) for the nearest butcher selling quality pork.

Cold confit of shoulder or butt works splendidly in a salad with green beans and cabbage. Snout, ear, and ham hock confits are generally used to flavor soups and garbures, while confit of pork rind is used in dishes of dried beans.

Even when you serve confit of pork cold, you should always brown it first in its own fat. When reheated this way, a subtle hazelnutlike flavor is developed on the exterior, while the interior remains moist and aromatic. In summer, the Basques serve lightly browned pork confit with pickled cabbage, or slice it thin to serve with vinegared grapes or Sweet and Sour Cherries (pages 398–399).

Begin 2 days in advance.

]]>
  • Two days in advance, cut the meat into 7 portions, each weighing about ½ pound. Trim away any ragged bits. Roll the pork pieces in salt combined with the thyme and pepper. Place in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 36 hours.
  • Remove the marinated pork pieces from the bowl; wipe off the salt and exuded juices, and pat dry with paper towels. Tie each piece with string to preserve a compact shape during cooking.
  • Place the rendered fat with 2 tablespoons water in a large, heavy pot, such as an enameled castiron casserole; the exact amount of fat will vary depending on the size and shape of the cooking vessel. Melt the fat over low heat; slip in the pieces of pork. The fat should cover the meat. However, if meat is almost completely covered, enough additional fat will render out in cooking to submerge it. Add the half head of garlic stuck with the clove. Simmer for 3 hours, adjusting the heat as necessary so that the temperature of the fat never exceeds 200°F to 205°F.
  • Remove from the heat. For better texture, let the pork cool in the fat for 1 hour; it can be removed at once, but there will be some loss of texture. Remove the pork pieces and garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool slightly. The meat will become firmer as it cools.
  • Reheat the fat over moderately high heat to boiling, constantly skimming off foam that rises to surface. Slowly boil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the spluttering stops and the surface of the fat is nearly undisturbed. Watch carefully and adjust the heat if necessary to avoid burning or smoking; fat that is allowed to reach smoking point will be ruined for confit. Remove the fat from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
  • When the pieces of pork confit are still warm but have firmed up slightly, remove the strings. Proceed to Step 7 if you want to use the confit immediately, or for richer flavor, age the confit as follows: Have ready 2 or 3 sterilized wide-mouth canning jars. Follow the recipe for Traditional Confit of Duck (pages 201–203), Steps 4 through 8. Pork confit is best after at least a 2-week ripening; it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.
  • To use, bring the container of confit to room temperature or microwave for 2 to 3 minutes to soften the fat. Take out as many pieces as you need. (Return the remaining confit to the refrigerator, making sure the pieces are covered with fat; plan on using it within 1 week once you start.) Scrape the fat clinging to the confit pieces into a heavy medium skillet; add another tablespoon if amount of fat looks insufficient for browning. Heat the fat over moderate heat to rippling, but do not let smoke. Add the confit pieces and sauté, turning, until lightly browned on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove to a wire rack or brown paper bag to drain. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold.
  • If using pork shoulder or blade end, request 4½ to 5 pounds before boning and have the meat boned in one piece.
  • Rendered fat suitable for this recipe can be any desired combination of butcher's lard from a reliable source, duck or goose fat, or home-rendered lard. (Though it is possible to use all lard, the flavor will be somewhat inferior; for authentic flavor, include a good proportion of rendered duck or goose fat.) For preparation of home-rendered poultry fat or lard, see Duck Fat and Cracklings (page 169) and Rendered Pork Fat (below). Good storebought equivalents are available from D'Artagnan and Niman Ranch (see Mail Order Sources, pages 415–417).
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main 3½ pounds pork butt or boned pork shoulder or blade end (see Notes, below)

    ]]>     2 to 4 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

    ]]>     Large pinch of dried thyme, crumbled, or 1 sprig fresh, leaves only

    ]]>     1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, lightly crushed

    ]]>     4 to 6 cups rendered duck or pork fat (see Notes, below)

    ]]>     ½ small head of garlic cut crosswise

    ]]>     1 whole clove

    ]]>