Grisous Caillettes

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 500 g minced pork
• 100 g bacon, unsmoked, diced
• 100 g liver(s) (rabbit liver), chopped
• 1 egg(s)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 onion(s), finely diced
• 1 bunch parsley, flat, chopped
• 250 g chard, only the green part
• 1 dashes port wine
• 250 ml dry white wine
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• nutmeg

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Southern French minced meat and chard meatballs in pork netting

Caillettes, like so many southern French recipes, are a way of using up leftovers, so there are endless variations. Often, pre-seasoned minced pork is used instead of minced meat, which is very fatty and also heavily seasoned. I therefore prefer ground pork or minced meat mixed with minced roast leftovers. Finely grated carrots or celery can also be used. Carefully remove the green part of the chard from the leaf vines (the stems are wonderful for other purposes), finely chop, and lightly sauté in a little olive oil. Mix the minced meat, bacon, liver, egg, parsley (don’t skimp on this), onion, garlic, and cooled chard well. Season generously with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and add port wine to taste. Form the mixture into approximately 8 balls and wrap them in pork netting that has been thoroughly rinsed and trimmed to size. Place in a gratin dish, pour over white wine, and bake in the oven at 180°C for about 40 minutes. Caillettes are usually eaten cold, as an appetizer or snack—but they’re also delicious warm—and be sure to soak up the juices that form in the baking dish with bread!