Spinach Salad with Paleo Rillon (Pork Belly)

With a little pre-planning this Spinach Salad with Paleo Rillon (Pork Belly) will be a delicious dish to make on the weekend. by Marla Sarris on August 18, 2014

Spinach Salad with Paleo Rillon (Pork Belly)

Marla Sarris is the founder of Paleo Porn, co-author of Pigskin Paleo (along with her husband Jeff), and project manager at SPYR. After tirelessly dedicating six years to teaching Mathematics at one of the top High Schools in the nation, she left her all-consuming career in pursuit of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. She continues to indulge her passion for teaching through Paleo Porn.

I know you know what spinach is but my guess is you’re wondering what rillon is. Well, you’re in luck…well maybe I should be the lucky one because I get to introduce you to pork belly, because that’s what it is! Now aren’t you glad you asked? :)

Spinach Salad with Paleo Rillon (Pork Belly)

Spinach Salad with Paleo Rillon (Pork Belly)

What is a Rillon?

A French food consisting of small to medium sized cubes of high quality pork. Rillons are also referred to as rillauds or rillots.

Because pork belly is so fatty, you’ll want to season it before you start cooking. Salt doesn’t dissolve in fat, so if you try to season after you’ve cooked your pork belly, it’ll be too late.

Salad for Dinner

If you’re looking for a tasty and light dish to serve for dinner, look no further. The spinach provides the tasty greens and the pork belly gives the perfect amount of salt and fat. Combined they make a delicious meal.

Spinach Salad with Paleo Rillon (Pork Belly)

Yield: 2-4 Servings

Ingredients

sea salt
1-1.5lbs pasture-raised pork belly
2 tablespoons lard
7 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 cup golden balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
1 bunch fresh thyme
3 cups organic baby spinach
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 persian cucumbers, sliced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
coarse ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil
apple cider vinegar

Directions

On the day before you want to serve, season pork belly with sea salt, cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Rinse the sea salt off the pork belly and pat dry with a kitchen or paper towel.
Slice the pork belly into cubes.
Melt 1 tablespoon of lard in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Once it starts to smoke, add the pork belly cubes and brown on all sides.
Add 5 cloves of minced garlic to the pan, reserve the remaining two cloves for the salad. Carefully pour in the balsamic vinegar and water along with the fresh thyme and remaining tablespoon of lard. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until pork is tender. Once tender, remove the rillons, drain most of the fat and leave the pork to cool in the remaining fat.
In a large mixing bowl add the spinach, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, avocado and garlic. Season with a sprinkling of sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle olive oil all the way across the top along with a few shots of apple cider vinegar. Stir the salad until everything is mixed.
Plate the salad onto two large plates. Top each plate with 4-6 rillons and serve.
Enjoy! :)

About the Author Marla Sarris

Marla Sarris is the founder of Paleo Porn, co-author of Pigskin Paleo (along with her husband Jeff), and project manager at SPYR. After tirelessly dedicating six years to teaching Mathematics at one of the top High Schools in the nation, she left her all-consuming career in pursuit of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. She continues to indulge her passion for teaching through Paleo Porn.