Pork in Jelly (French Rillettes de Porc)

Rillettes gets right to the heart of what's good: pork, pork fat, salt, and pepper Easy and cheap to make, it's one of the great casual starters of all time.

2 lbs pork belly, cut into 2" cubes
1 lb pork shoulder, cut into 2" cubes
4 cups water
1 Bouquet Garni
sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
1 lb pork fat, cut into thin slices

Place the pork belly and shoulder in the heavy-bottomed pot. Add water and bouquet garni and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. After 6 hours, stir in salt and pepper and remove from heat.  Discard bouquet garni.

Once meat is cool enough to handle, transfer it to the mixing bowl; using a fork, shred the meat, taking care to preserve the natural filament - meaning you want shreds, not mush. Feel free to shovel a little still-warm pork into your face. C'mon, you know you want to.

Next, divide the mixture among several small containers. Top each portion with a slice or two of pork fat to completely cover it, fold the mixture together a bit, then wrap each container in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and allow to sit for 3 days before serving. This is the hardest part - just know that it only gets better as those flavors marry up in the fridge.

To Serve:  Scoop some out, form it into a vaguely artful shape (with a metal ring for instance), and garnish with toasted baguette rounds and cornichons. Left covered, rillettes will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Cook's Note: Just shape into an attractive round or square, comb the top with a fork, and dig in Smeared on toasted baguette croutons and enjoyed with cocktails, or served as an appetizer, it sets the tone for an enjoyable, eat-with-your-hands-and-have-a-good-time kind of evening.