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1
If the smoked pork is very salty, submerge it in cold water for 2 hours, then drain and pat dry. Heat the oven to 150°C. Rub the interior of a deep earthenware gratin dish or cocotte thoroughly with the cut face of the garlic clove, then coat lightly with goose fat.
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2
Lay a base of overlapping potato slices across the bottom of the dish and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a layer of sliced onions, then a layer of smoked pork. Tuck bay leaves and juniper berries between the layers. Repeat the sequence — potato, onion, pork — finishing with a final layer of potatoes arranged neatly on top. Season the top layer.
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3
Pour the white wine over the assembled layers, then add water or stock until the liquid reaches three-quarters of the height of the layered contents. The dish lives or dies here: too little liquid leaves the base scorched and the potatoes chalky at the centre; the correct level guarantees that the slow heat draws the smoky, wine-scented juices uniformly through every layer.
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4
Seal the dish tightly with its lid or with a double layer of foil pressed firmly to the rim. Place in the oven and bake at 150°C for 2.5 to 3 hours, undisturbed. The dish is ready to uncover when the potatoes yield without resistance to the tip of a skewer passed through the foil into the centre.
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5
Remove the cover and raise the oven temperature to 190°C. If using Munster, lay the slices over the top layer of potatoes after the first 15 minutes of uncovered cooking. Bake for a further 30 minutes in total, until the top layer of potatoes is deeply golden and the edges of the gratin show a steady, gentle bubble. The surface should be uniformly bronzed and dry to the eye, not pale or wet.
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6
Remove from the oven and rest the dish for 5 minutes before carrying it to the table. Serve directly from the baking vessel, accompanied by a green salad dressed with walnut oil.