Pork bits

Using the recipe from the Tribune a couple Wednesdays ago, I made pork rillettes over last weekend.

Part of the process involves making a pork broth using pork bones (I used neck and blades) and a pigs foot. After multiple strainings of the broth, I had about a pound of pork and pig foot bits left over, mostly very small pieces.

Any ideas as to how all that pig fattiness can be used?

Last week at Baffo I had a piedino de maiale, a little pig foot, which was a bunch of very small pork pieces, breaded and fried Milanese style, and served with little marinated tomatoes and arugula.



With a bunch of pork bits, you could press them into disks, bread and fry, just like this. The tomatoes and arugula were a good touch: a little acidity and bitterness to balance the richness of the piedini.

MLS wrote:.........Any ideas as to how all that pig fattiness can be used?

You can try our version of Scrapple, assuming the pig bits are more lean than fat.




This is the 1/2 recipe. When we make it, we usually use half a pound of ground pork (uncooked weight) and it will make enough for 4 people with a little left over for another meal. Chunks of pork are used in the original family recipe, my wife never cared for it until I made it with sausage, crumbled fine, now it's a hit. I still like the old way with chunks of pork, but I haven't had it that way in years.

If you have some broth left, skim the fat off and add enough water to make 1 pint (or just use a pint of water)
Add 1/2 cup of cornmeal
Season with a heavy pinch or two of Marjoram and a couple of big pinches of Kosher Salt
Add med coarse ground black pepper until you can see it in the mix (I like more, the Mrs likes less)
Cook, with constant stirring after thickening, for 30 to 40 minutes (30 - 40 minutes total)
Add pork bits (or cooked sausage) after about 25 minutes into cooking process
Turn mixture into greased/buttered small loaf pan and chill

Remove from pan after cold, slice no more than a quarter inch thick, roll in cornstarch and sauté in butter until crispy golden brown on the outside. You can cook it however you prefer, but we like it crispy on the outside 1/3 of each side, with the center 1/3 hot and soft. You should be able to pick it up and eat it like a piece of bacon if it's done right.... in my opinion.

This is a lean recipe, if you get too much fat in it, the loaf won't stick together. Don't ask me how I know this.....

Tim