Lyonnaise Grattons

Ingredients

• 1.4 kg fresh fatty pork trimmings with rind and lean meat attached
• 20 g fine salt
• 3 g black peppercorns
• 10 cl water

Method

1. Ask the butcher for fresh fatty pork trimmings containing firm fat, a bit of rind, and a few fragments of lean meat. Avoid already rendered lard and exclusively lean cuts, which would not produce the expected texture.
2. Quickly rinse the trimmings if necessary, then dry them very thoroughly. Remove only any bone fragments, glands, and stained parts. Keep the rind as well as the lean meat attached to the fat.
3. Cut the trimmings into thick, irregular pieces, approximately the size of a large walnut. Do not mince them: the grattons must remain distinctly meaty and retain their shape after the fat renders.
4. Place the pieces in a heavy Dutch oven or a cast-iron pot. Add the water, then begin cooking over very low heat, uncovered. The water protects the bottom at the start and gives the fat time to begin rendering.
5. Stir regularly with a wooden spoon, carefully scraping the bottom. Maintain a gentle simmer for about two hours. The pieces should confit slowly in the rendered fat without browning prematurely.
6. When the bubbles become finer, the fat looks clear, and the pieces begin to float, slightly increase the heat. Continue cooking, stirring almost constantly, to achieve an even blond to golden-brown color.
7. Immediately remove the Dutch oven from the heat as soon as the grattons are nicely browned. They will continue to darken in the hot fat: do not wait for them to become dark brown, at the risk of making them bitter and hard.
8. Remove the grattons with a slotted spoon and place them in a metal strainer set over a heatproof bowl. Let them drain until the dripping slows down significantly.
9. Transfer the still-hot grattons to a narrow dish lined with parchment paper. Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top, then apply moderate pressure with a flat plate or a small board. The goal is to pack them together and extract a little fat, without reducing them to a compact patty.
10. Remove the press while the grattons are still warm. Gently separate them, season with the salt and freshly cracked pepper, and let cool completely uncovered.
11. Serve at room temperature, divided into six equal portions. Store the strained cooking fat in the refrigerator: it can be used as lard for cooking potatoes or vegetables.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

70.6 kcal

Protein

6.35 g

Carbohydrate

0.32 g

Fat

4.92 g

Fibre

0.12 g

Calcium

2.48 mg

Iron

0.09 mg

Magnesium

0.95 mg