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French · Gascony

Confit de Porc — Pork Confit

Confit de porc applies the Gascon confit method to pork (Sus scrofa domesticus), most commonly using the shoulder (épaule), belly (poitrine), or cheeks (joues), which are rich in intramuscular collagen and respond superbly to the slow fat-poach. The cure consists of 25 g coarse sea salt per kilogram, 3 g pink curing salt (sodium nitrite at 6.25%) per kilogram for color retention and added microbial control, quatre-épices at 2 g per kilogram, crushed garlic, and fresh bay leaf (Laurus nobilis). The meat is rubbed thoroughly, stacked in a non-reactive vessel, and cured for 36 to 48 hours at 2-4°C. After rinsing and drying, the pieces are submerged in rendered lard or a blend of lard and duck fat at 90-95°C (194-203°F) and cooked for 3 to 5 hours, depending on the cut's thickness. The target internal temperature is 85°C held for 45 minutes, at which point the collagen in the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles of the shoulder will have fully converted to gelatin. The science is straightforward: above 70°C, the triple-helix structure of collagen unwinds; prolonged exposure at 85°C completes the conversion, yielding meat that is fork-tender and lubricious. Once cooked, the pork is transferred to sterilized crocks, submerged in strained fat, and stored at 2-4°C. Pork confit is a foundational component of cassoulet Toulousain, where it contributes body and richness to the bean stew. It can also be shredded for rillettes or crisped in a hot pan and served atop lentils du Puy with a reduction of verjuice.

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ServesFour portions
Sourced0of 8 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

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1 kg
pork shoulder, belly, or cheeks
collagen-rich cuts only; shoulder cut into 100 g pieces if destined for cassoulet
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the cure
25 g
coarse sea salt
per kilogram of meat
Your own market
3 g
pink curing salt (sodium nitrite 6.25%)
per kilogram of meat
Your own market
2 g
quatre-épices
per kilogram of meat
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2 cloves
garlic
crushed
Your own market
2 leaves
fresh bay leaf (Laurus nobilis)
Your own market
For the fat-poach
800 g
rendered lard
sufficient to submerge the pieces; may blend with duck fat
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
200 g
rendered duck fat
optional 20% blend for greater depth of flavour
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II

The Method

1
Combine the coarse sea salt, pink curing salt, and quatre-épices. Rub the mixture thoroughly over all surfaces of the pork. Add the crushed garlic and bay leaves. Stack the pieces in a non-reactive vessel, cover, and refrigerate at 2–4 °C for 36 to 48 hours. The cure is complete when the interior of the thickest piece registers uniform seasoning on tasting; less than 36 hours leaves the interior under-seasoned.
From the canon — Quatre-épices is the foundational spice blend of the French garde manger, a finely calibrated mixture whose standard ratio—by weight—is 7 parts white pepper … Quatre-Épices — The Classical French Spice Blend →
2
Remove the pork from the vessel. Rinse each piece thoroughly under cold water, then pat fully dry with a clean cloth. No trace of surface moisture should remain, as water will cause the cooking fat to spit violently.
3
Melt the lard — blended with duck fat if using — in a deep, heavy vessel and bring to a steady 90–95 °C. Submerge the pork pieces completely. This is where the dish lives or dies: maintain the fat between 90 °C and 95 °C without deviation for 3 to 5 hours, depending on the thickness of the cut, until the internal temperature reaches 85 °C and holds there for a full 45 minutes, at which point the collagen of the shoulder muscles will have fully converted to gelatin and the meat will yield without resistance to a carving fork.
4
Lift the pieces carefully from the fat. Transfer to sterilized crocks. Strain the cooking fat through a fine sieve — no protein sediment should pass — and pour it over the pork until every piece is fully submerged. Seal and refrigerate at 2–4 °C. The surface fat should set opaque and firm; any gap in the fat seal renders the storage unreliable.
5
To serve, remove the required pieces from the crock and scrape away excess fat. Crisp in a hot dry pan until the exterior is deep golden and the skin or surface crust renders audibly, or incorporate directly into cassoulet Toulousain. Shred for rillettes as required.
From the canon — A long-baked casserole of white beans, duck confit, Toulouse sausage, and braised pork — the definitive preparation of southwestern France, the dish that red… Cassoulet →
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — Pork cheeks from a heritage breed, cured with hand-harvested fleur de sel and cooked entirely in estate-rendered duck-lard blend; collagen yield and flavour depth are unmatched by any other cut.
02
Estate — Free-range pork shoulder from a named farm, cured with quality coarse sea salt, cooked in a blend of good rendered lard and duck fat; produces a deeply succulent result suitable for cassoulet at the table.
03
Market — Pork shoulder or belly from a reputable butcher, cured with standard coarse sea salt and pink curing salt at correct proportions, cooked in commercial rendered lard; reliable and orthodox.
04
House — Any collagen-rich pork cut correctly cured and fat-poached at the prescribed temperature; the method itself guarantees a serviceable confit even from modest raw material, provided lean loin is avoided.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Touch. A carving fork meets no resistance when pressed into the thickest part of the shoulder; the meat yields and separates along the grain without tearing.
◇Sight. The cooking fat around the meat runs clear with a faint golden tint and carries no trace of pink; the juices have fully clarified into the fat.
◇Smell. The fat gives off a clean, sweet, porky aroma with no sharpness; any sour or rancid note indicates temperature has strayed too high or the fat was previously degraded.
◇Sight. After potting and refrigeration, the surface fat sets completely opaque and ivory-white with no exposed meat visible; any gap requires additional strained fat before storage is safe.
◇Where it lives or dies. The fat temperature must hold without deviation at 90–95 °C for the full duration; a lower temperature stalls collagen conversion and leaves the meat tight, while a higher temperature fries rather than confits.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Cos d'Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel · Saint-Estèphe
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wine
From British Columbia
Fort Berens Riesling
Fort Berens Estate Winery · Lillooet
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic

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The whole pairing
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Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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