TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Petit Salé aux LentillesSalted Pork with Lentils
A stew of salted pork and lentils handed down in the mountains of Auvergne. Curing the pork yourself for 24 hours is its essence. After desalting and blanching, the meat simmers with green lentils, passing its cured savour into the pulses and broth for depth without reliance on seasonings. An everyday winter classic of French homes and bistros.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Whole pork shoulderFor home curing. Tying with kitchen string keeps it from falling apart.800 g
- Coarse saltFor curing; rub evenly over the whole piece.50 g
- Green lentilsChoose whole lentils with skins that hold their shape. No soaking needed.300 g
- OnionPeel, stud with cloves and simmer whole.1 piece
- ClovesInsert into the onion.3 pieces
- CarrotsPeel and cut into 4cm lengths; serve with the meat.2 pieces
- Bay leaves2 leaves
- Thyme3 sprigs
- GarlicLightly crushed.2 cloves
- Black peppercorns10 peppercorns
- Dijon mustardServe at the table with the meat.2 tablespoons
Method
Rub salt into the pork
- 1 Pat the whole pork shoulder dry with kitchen paper.
- 2 Rub 50g coarse salt evenly over all surfaces and wrap tightly.
Cure for 24 hours
- 1 Place on a tray and cure in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Ready when
It is cured when moisture has emerged, the colour has deepened and the flesh has firmed.
Desalt the cured meat
- 1 Rinse surface salt off under running water, then submerge the meat in a bowl of plenty of water for 30 minutes to desalt.
Blanch the cured meat
- 1 Put the meat in a pot with water to cover, bring to the boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes.
- 2 When scum rises, lift the meat into a colander, discard the water, wash the pot and briefly rinse the meat under running water.
Ready when
Proceed once grey scum has risen and rinsing the surface has removed the cloudiness.
Prepare the meat and aromatics in the pot
- 1 Peel the onion and stud with 3 cloves.
- 2 Peel the carrots and cut into 4cm lengths.
- 3 Lightly crush 2 garlic cloves with the flat of a knife.
- 4 Return the meat to the clean pot and add water to cover, onion, carrots, garlic, 2 bay leaves, 3 thyme sprigs and 10 peppercorns; set over medium heat.
Simmer the cured pork
- 1 Once boiling, skim, lower the heat and cover with the lid slightly ajar; simmer for 60 minutes.
- 2 Maintain heat so the surface barely moves.
Add and cook the lentils
- 1 Rinse 300g green lentils under running water in a sieve, without soaking, and add to the pot.
- 2 Continue simmering gently for 25–30 minutes.
- 3 Do not add salt: the cured pork has released salt into the broth.
Ready when
It is ready when the lentils are tender but retain intact skins and their shape, and a skewer passes easily through the meat.
Slice and serve the pork
- 1 Lift out the meat and remove the bay leaves, thyme and onion.
- 2 Cut the pork into 1.5cm slices; serve the lentils and carrots in deep plates with a little broth and lay the meat on top.
- 3 Serve with Dijon mustard.
About this dish
Auvergne is a mountainous region of central France spread across the volcanic Massif Central. In this land of long, harsh winters, raising pigs and preserving them by salting or drying was a foundation of everyday life.
Petit salé means “lightly salted” and refers to the household work of curing pork in a salt crock. Farmers salted meat for winter, desalted it before eating and cooked it with pulses and vegetables. The savour of the cure passes into the broth and lentils, requiring almost no further seasoning.
This lentil stew is now a staple of bistros and homes throughout France, not just Auvergne. So ordinary that supermarkets sell ready-salted pork for it, it continues to belong to everyday winter tables.
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