Pineapple-Chile Pork Rillettes
Chef Steve McHugh of Cured | San Antonio
Yield: Twenty-four 3-ounce jars
Adapted by StarChefs | January 2018
INGREDIENTS
Chile Salsa:
5 pineapples peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored
12 poblano chiles
6 habenero chiles, halved, stems and seeds removed
6 serrano chiles, halved, stems and seeds removed
2 cups agave syrup
2 tablespoons banana vinegar
Salt
Black pepper
Pork Rilletes:
5 pounds pork butt, diced large
2 quarts pork fat, melted
Salt
METHOD
For the Chile Salsa:
Prepare and heat grill over high flame. Char pineapples on all sides, and lightly char chiles. Dice fruit into 2-inch cubes. Remove stems from poblanos. Transfer pineapple and chiles to a food processor and process until smooth, while adding agave and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper; cool.
For the Pork Rillettes:
Heat oven to 300°F. In a hotel pan, spread pork in an even layer and cover with fat. Secure lid or cover tightly with foil. Cook in oven until tender, about 3 hours. Drain pork, reserving one-third of the liquid (mostly fat, and some jus). Before mixing, make sure meat, liquid, and salsa are all room temperature. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, add pork and season with salt. Mix on low speed, slowly adding fat and jus and 3 cups Chile Salsa in increments, alternating between the addition of each. When mixture has combined and reached a spreadable consistency, allow to cool before packing into desired sized jars, leaving a little space at top for an additional 1 tablespoon of Chile Salsa.
