Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen, Lou Sackett

Procedure for Making Confit

Appears in
Professional Garde Manger: A Comprehensive Guide to Cold Food Preparation
Professional Garde Manger

By Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen and Lou Sackett

Published 2010

  • About
  1. Prepare the dry curing compound as specified in the recipe.
  2. Trim and fabricate the meat as specified in the recipe.
  3. Apply the cure to the meat in an even coating, massaging it in thoroughly.
  4. Place the meat in a freshly sanitized container (A). Weight it with a sanitized, nonreactive lid or other food-service object and cover the container. Refrigerate it for the specified curing time.

  5. Check the cure by making a slit into the center of a piece of meat. If the cure is complete, the color and texture will be uniform throughout. If the cure is not yet complete, return the meat to the refrigerator and continue the curing process 1–2 days longer.
  6. If necessary, render solid fat to yield enough semisolid fat to completely cover the meat.
  7. Preheat an oven or food warming unit to 180°F (82°C).
  8. Melt the semisolid fat over low heat.
  9. Rinse the curing compound off the meat and blot it dry. Place the meat in a brazier or deep hotel pan just large enough to comfortably hold the total volume of meat and fat.
  10. When the fat reaches 200°F (93°C), pour or ladle it over the meat, making sure all pieces are submerged (B). On a stove burner, quickly bring the fat and meat to 200°F (93°C). Cook in the oven or warming unit, making sure the temperature stays between 180°F (82°C) and 200°F (93°C). Cook the meat for the length of time specified in the recipe, or until it is very tender when tested with a knife.

  11. Sanitize the container and lid to be used to store the confit, as well as all utensils to be used.
  12. Remove the confit from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the meat to the container.
  13. Pour or ladle the hot fat over the meat (C). Be sure to use the melted fat only, not the juices that remain on the bottom of the pan. (These juices can be saved for other uses, such as cooking beans.) Make sure the meat is completely submerged and that no air spaces remain between the pieces.

  14. Open-pan cool the confit to room temperature, cover it, and refrigerate it.
  15. Allow the confit to mellow in the refrigerator 1 week.