Specialities Potted meat from Le Mans, Sarthe department and from Tours

Potted meat is made from pork meat baked in fat. Used parts are shoulder and breast. The texture of potted meat from Le Mans is thin as meat is dispatched in fat, this one isn't visible ; it isn't flavored. Potted meat from Tours, less fat, has a less thin texture and has little meat cubes dispatched in potted meat. The origin of the potted meat word is not much known but in the 16th century already, Rabelais in the "Tiers Livre" used the potted meat term to describe pork cubes.

©NRCO-ADT

Ingredients (for 1kg potted meat) :
250 g pork fat
1 kg pork spare rib
1 bouquet garni
salt, pepper
kidney fat


Recipe :
Break fat in little cubes and remove skins which cover fat cells.
Pour 2 glasses of water in a large pan and put the fat cubes on a low heat. Let melt.
During this time cut meat in 1 to 2 cm wide bands in the fiber's way.
Put meat in the pan with the bouquet garni (thyme, bay, cloves).
Let bake for 3 to 4 hours stirring regularly without boiling fat.
When meat comes to blond take away from heat and let cool after removing the bouquet garni.
Take regularly some melt fat which comes on surface and put it in a pan.
Put preparation in pots and cover with fat to protect potted meat.
Keep in a fresh and dry place.