Bitten Word readers cooked every recipe in the September 2013 Bon Appétit magazine. Here's their take on Classic Potted Pork.
Chloe: Instead of telling my guests that it was "Potted Pork" (the name is not appetizing to me) I told them that it was Rillettes -- and there was not a crumb left. The only problem that I had with the dish was that it was a pretty grey spread. Overall it was super easy to prepare, but took a long time. I'd rather have pulled pork sandwiches instead of pork spread.
Cindi: Basically pig and butter, yum. The shallot component, which is a perfect complement is a bit fussy and has some weird proportions (only 4 large shallots but cups of chicken broth? How large are those shallots? And that's a lot of trouble for just 4 shallots - I did a dozen and have extra for some other dish).
Jeffrey: The finished product was very good. Subtle flavors from the spice rub on the roast, along with the thyme and garlic, were a nice combination with the velvety spiced pork and crunchy crouton ... but this very rich dish definitely needed the acidity from the coarse mustard. The recipe itself was a bit complex, and throughout the process I was hoping for better explanations, descriptions and slightly more direction. I took this in steps over the course of a week which, in hindsight, really helped spread out the mess and work into more manageable and smaller productions. Would I make this again? No. The flavors are there but it seemed to be too much hassle for the finished product. Better to order this type of thing in a restaurant and enjoy the finished product without all the hassle.
Sandra P: Very good! I followed the recipe exactly but as you can see from the photo, my shallots came out more like caramelized onions rather than the shallots in the Bonappetit photo. They were delicious though! Great for those that don’t like liver pate. Butter makes everything better! Although my husband and I really enjoyed this, I’ll stick to my butter splurge being Toasted Italian Scali Bread (From Winter Hill Bakery, Somerville MA), with butter and a slice of prosciutto - YUMMY
Jane: Perfect for a Wind in the Willows picnic, but otherwise Meh. The pork was rather bland and it's, well, awfully unctuous with all that butter. The shallots were great!
Kristin: Bon Appetit describes this as "unctuous," odd praise given that the term means "fatty, oily." But it's accurate: This marriage of butter and pork is a definite artery clogger, and somewhat of an acquired taste. Think cooked pate congealed with butter. Don't skip the shallots and mustard - they are musts to lighten up the flavor of the porky, fatty spread.
Trevor: Lush. Buttery. Decadent. Different. This is definitely a recipe I'd skip upon first glance in a magazine or cookbook, but I'm glad I gave it a go. The recipe was forgiving and simple for the most part. The aromas while cooking the pork were lovely and spicy and reminiscent of fall and Thanksgiving. Didn't know what we'd think about the butter on top . . . but we were fans as it melted in our mouths to cap off each bite.
Rebecca: Fantastic! Rillette-like. The pork was rich and the shallots were sweet and carmelized and a little apple-y (I used calvados apple brandy) the mustard gave it a great tang. Serve as part of a larger farmers plate for a full meal. Tips: use ghee from trader joes and skip clarifying butter. Make more shallots cause they are amazing. Use bristol cream sherry and only 1/2 the brandy and chicken stock. can be made with pork loin and reduced cooking time (like mine, 2 hrs in my oven) Don't shred pork by hand, pulse in cuisinart. Serve with roasted peppers and maybe gherkins or broccoli rabe. Simply delicious!
Get the Classic Potted Pork recipe at Bon Appétit