Try this recipe from Chef Britt for flavorful Cajun Rillettes! Create with a quick shrimp stock and mouth-watering braised pork butt, this French classic gets a tasty twist.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Sautéing the shrimp shells in clarified butter before building the stock extracts more flavor from the shells than simmering them alone would
- Cooking the tomato paste until it smells rich before deglazing develops a deeper flavor base, rather than adding the paste and liquid at the same time
- Submerging the pork fully in shrimp stock and rendered bacon fat as it braises keeps the meat from drying out over the long cook, rather than relying on the grill's ambient heat alone
- Sealing the finished rillettes with a layer of reserved fat on top preserves the dish in the refrigerator for weeks, a traditional technique that also keeps the meat from drying out before serving
Cajun Smoked Pork Rillettes
Britt Shoffner
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
Cajun
Servings
8
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
6 hours
Calories
596
Chef Britt puts a Cajun twist on a French classic potted meat: Rillettes! She starts by creating a quick shrimp stock in the Instant Pot, then uses that to braise pork butt for hours on the Yoder Smokers YS640s!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb whole shrimp/shells
- 1/4 cup clarified butter, or more as needed
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup bell pepper
- 1/4 cup sliced leeks
- 1-2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 kg (or 4 1/2 cups) water
- 3/4 cup, scant, dry vermouth
-
2 tbsp Cattleman's Grill Blackening Seasoning
-
3 lb fatty pork butt (boneless)
-
5 tbsp Cattleman's Grill Blackening Seasoning
- 1 pound sliced bacon, diced
-
1 quart shrimp stock
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup white onion, medium dice
- 1/2 cup bell pepper, medium dice
- 1/2 cup celery, sliced
- 6 bay leaves
- 8 oz rendered bacon fat
- 1/4 cup cognac or brandy
- Baguette, sliced and toasted
-
Kozlik's Triple Crunch Mustard
-
Boudreaux's Mild Southern Style Chow Chow
-
Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt, to serve
For the shrimp stock:
For the rillettes:
Directions
To make the Shrimp Stock:
Prep your vegetables: dice carrot, bell pepper, and onion. Wash leeks to rid them of dirt/sand and cut into 1/2-inch long strips and thinly slice.
- In an electric pressure cooker, sauté the shrimp with shells on in clarified butter until cooked through. Remove the shrimp and shells and set aside.
- Add diced onion, celery, bell pepper, and sliced leeks and sauté until translucent, adding more clarified butter if needed.
- Add tomato paste and cook until a rich tomato smell is present, being careful not to burn.
Deglaze the pot with dry vermouth and water. Return the shells and shrimp to the pot, and add Cattleman's Grill Blackening Seasoning.
- Pressure cook on high for 1 hour, and end with a 10-minute natural release.
- Strain the stock and reserve for further use.
To make the rillettes:
Cut the pork shoulder into 3/4-inch cubes and toss with Cattleman's Grill Blackening Seasoning. Allow the seasoning to set on the meat while you assemble the rest of your ingredients.
- Preheat your Yoder Smoker to 300°F.
- Prep your vegetables: dice carrot, bell pepper, and onion. Mince garlic.
Cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces and sauté in a 5 qt Lodge dutch oven. Once the bacon begins to render its fat, add the vegetables and sauté until softened and translucent.
- Next, add seasoned pork butt, bay leaves, shrimp stock, and rendered bacon fat. Stir to combine. Pork butt must be fully submerged, so add more stock/water if necessary.
- Cook pork mixture on smoker uncovered for 4-5 hours and 300°F until pork is very tender and shreds easily. Come back every hour during the cooking process to stir and ensure the pork is staying submerged.
Once the pork is extremely tender, strain the liquid into a separate container from the meat mixture. Discard the bay leaves, transfer the meat and vegetables to a food processor or mixer, add cognac, and process until the meat is fully shredded with spreadable consistency, adding more cooking liquid if necessary. (Refer to the video for a further visual demonstration.)
- Pack the rillette mixture into sterile mason jars or porcelain ramekins and allow to cool to room temperature. To finish, pour 1-2 tablespoons of reserved fat over the top to seal and refrigerate until fully chilled. Store in an airtight fashion in the fridge for up to 2 months, or longer in the freezer.
When ready to serve, sprinkle Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt over the top of the rillette, and let it come to room temperature (about one hour) before serving with grilled bread and your favorite mustard and pickles.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why sauté the shrimp shells in clarified butter before building the stock?
Cooking the shells first extracts more flavor into the butter than simply simmering them in liquid would, building a richer base before the vegetables and water go in.
Why cook the tomato paste until it smells rich before deglazing with vermouth?
Developing that aroma first builds a deeper flavor into the base. Adding the liquid too early would dilute the tomato paste before it's had a chance to concentrate.
Why keep the pork fully submerged in shrimp stock and rendered bacon fat throughout the braise?
Submerging the meat protects it from drying out over the 4-5 hour cook, rather than relying on the smoker's ambient heat alone to keep it moist, which is why the recipe calls for checking and topping off the liquid hourly.
Why pour a layer of reserved fat over the finished rillettes before refrigerating?
Sealing the top with fat is a traditional French preservation technique that keeps air away from the meat, extending its fridge life to up to two months while also preventing the surface from drying out.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — the shrimp stock comes together in a pressure cooker, and a dutch oven in a low oven can braise the pork the same way the smoker does here; you'll lose some smoke flavor without the grill.
Recipe Highlights
Sautéed shrimp shells: Extracts more flavor than simmering alone.
Reduced tomato paste: Builds a deeper flavor base before deglazing.
Fully submerged braising: Keeps the pork moist over a long cook.
Fat-sealed storage: Preserves the rillettes and prevents drying.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 8 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 596
- Carbs
- 57 grams
- Protein
- 22 grams
- Fat
- 29 grams
- Sodium
- 1697 milligrams
