by wanderash
View
my 16 other recipes »
wanderash's Notes:
Expand
5 pounds
boneless Boston butt (pork shoulder), leave most of the fat on the meat
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
Kosher salt
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
1 tablespoon
fennel seeds
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
5
bay leaves
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
1 tablespoon
juniper berries
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
1/2 tablespoon
black pepper
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
6
cloves garlic, peeled
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
Enough duck fat to cover meat (about 11/2 quarts)
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
Preheat the oven to 250̊ F. Warm the fat in a large deep pan by putting it in the oven while it preheats, or over low heat on the stove until it liquefies.
Ask the hotline about this step!Pull the pork out of the fridge and very liberally rub it with kosher salt. Pork likes salt, so do not be afraid of over salting. Let pork sit out and come to room temperature.
Ask the hotline about this step!Submerge the pork in the fat and add the fennel seeds, bay leaves, juniper berries, pepper, and garlic. It is very important that the pork is fully submerged throughout cooking. If you find you do not have enough, in a pinch, you can top it off with olive oil. Cook 4-5 hours, until extremely tender,
Ask the hotline about this step!The pork confit will be infinitely better if you let it sit in the fridge, cooled and covered in the fat for at least a week. However, overnight will suffice if you simply cannot wait!
Ask the hotline about this step!To serve the pork, heat the container to re-liquefy the fat, remove the pork and slice it into rectangle pieces, about 3”x1”x1”. Taste a small piece to see if it needs more salt. Season according to your taste.
Ask the hotline about this step!In a stainless-steel sauté pan, heat a little of the duck fat, when it is hot add the pork pieces and sear on all sides until each surface has a golden brown crust.
Ask the hotline about this step!NOTE: The pork can be kept in the fridge, submerged in fat for up to 2 months. When you are finished with the fat, warm it and strain it, removing all of the garlic, spices and pork bits, store in your refrigerator and reuse for your next confit adventure!
Ask the hotline about this step!
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
1/2 cup
shallots, peeled and chopped
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
6 cups
cups cider
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
12 cups
veal stock
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
10
fresh thyme sprigs
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
A splash of apple vinegar
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
In a 4-quart pot briefly sauté the shallots. Add the cider and reduce by ¾. Add the veal stock and fresh thyme sprigs. Reduce over medium heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Ask the hotline about this step!Pour sauce through a fine strainer (straining out the shallots and thyme) into another pot. Taste your sauce. Adjust seasoning by adding apple vinegar and salt. Add butter to help round out the flavors. If your sauce does not reduce down to coat the back of the spoon, you can remove the thyme and woosh it up in a blender with the shallots. This will give it a bit more body. Pass through a fine strainer.
Ask the hotline about this step!this looks great
i have just acquired 2 lbs of duck fat and have been looking around for ways to use it
thanks!!
Eugenia is the author of the book Well-Preserved and writes about homemade food preservation for the Denver Post's Well-Preserved blog.
Made the pork confit last weekend. It is waiting in the refrigerator. Looked at a bunch of recipes and yours looked the simplest, can't wait to try it!