Confit: Cooking Meat in Its Own Fat
Confit is one of the oldest preservation techniques in cooking—born from necessity when salt was precious and fat was the only way to keep meat from spoiling. Today we make it for flavor, not survival. The result is meat so tender it dissolves on your tongue, infused with the deep, concentrated taste that only time and fat together can build.
Plan ahead—this dish lives on time, not heat.
Confit requires at least 24 hours of curing and another 4 to 8 hours of gentle cooking. You cannot rush it. The good news: once it's done, the meat keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks, stored under its own fat. Start on a morning if you want to eat it for dinner three days later.
- a heavy, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven
- a kitchen scale (helpful but not essential)
- a thermometer (instant-read or candy thermometer)
- cheesecloth (optional, for straining fat)
What goes in.
- 4 lbduck legs, chicken thighs, or pork shoulder, skin on
- 2 tbspkosher salt
- 1 tbspsugar
- 2 tspblack pepper, coarsely ground
- 6 clovesgarlic, crushed
- 3 sprigsfresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 to 6 cupsrendered fat (duck, pork, or chicken fat)
Low temperature is everything
The meat must never reach above 210°F, or the muscle fibers will tighten and squeeze out moisture. The fat stays liquid below 212°F. This narrow window is where confit works—the meat poaches gently in fat rather than frying or braising. Use a thermometer. Do not guess.
The method.
Cure the meat.
Pat the meat dry. In a small bowl, mix salt, sugar, black pepper, crushed garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Rub this mixture all over each piece, working it into any crevices. Place the meat in a non-reactive container (glass or ceramic), cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. The meat will release liquid—this is correct. The salt is drawing moisture out and seasoning deep into the flesh.
Rinse and dry.
After curing, remove the meat from the refrigerator. Rinse each piece under cool water to remove excess salt and garlic. Pat completely dry with paper towels. Any water remaining on the surface will cause sputtering when the meat hits the fat.
Heat the fat.
Pour 4 to 6 cups of rendered fat into a heavy, oven-safe pot. Place it on the stovetop over low heat until the fat reaches 190°F on a thermometer. This takes about 20 minutes. The fat should feel warm but not hot—you should be able to hold your hand near the surface without flinching. Preheat your oven to 200°F.
Submerge the meat.
Carefully place each piece of cured meat into the warm fat. The meat should be completely submerged. If it floats, weight it down with a smaller pot or a plate. The meat will sink as it cooks. Bring the fat to 200°F, checking with your thermometer.
Transfer to the oven.
Once the fat reaches 200°F on the stovetop, move the pot to the preheated 200°F oven. Do not cover it. Leave it undisturbed for 4 to 8 hours, depending on the size and cut of meat. Duck legs take 4 to 5 hours. Chicken thighs take 3 to 4 hours. Pork shoulder takes 6 to 8 hours. The meat is done when a fork slides through it without resistance—the bone separates easily from the meat when you twist it gently.
Cool and store.
Remove the pot from the oven and let it cool to room temperature on the stovetop, about 1 hour. Once cool, transfer the meat to a clean container and pour the fat over it until the meat is completely covered. Refrigerate. The fat will solidify, sealing the meat from air. The confit keeps this way for 3 to 4 weeks.
Reheat to serve.
Remove the container from the refrigerator. Scrape away enough fat to expose the meat. Heat it gently in a 350°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until warmed through and the skin crisps slightly. Or shred the meat from the bone and use it in a cassoulet, on toast, or in a salad—the possibilities are endless.
Other turns to take.
Duck confit
The classic. Duck legs have enough intramuscular fat to almost cook themselves. Cure for 24 hours. Cook for 4 to 5 hours at 200°F. Serve skin-side down in a hot cast-iron skillet for 5 minutes to crisp the skin before plating.
Chicken confit
Faster and lighter than duck. Bone-in, skin-on thighs work best. Cure for 18 to 24 hours. Cook for 3 to 4 hours at 200°F. The meat will be so tender it pulls cleanly from the bone.
Pork confit
Pork shoulder or belly develops incredible depth of flavor. Cure for 24 to 36 hours—pork benefits from longer curing. Cook for 6 to 8 hours at 200°F. Shred and use in tacos, grain bowls, or as a base for cassoulet.
Herb variation
Replace some of the thyme with rosemary, sage, or juniper berries. Add a strip of orange zest to the cure. These additions infuse the meat subtly without overpowering the fat.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Rendered fat is crucial. Use duck fat for duck confit, pork fat for pork, or chicken fat for chicken. If you don't have enough, supplement with neutral oil, but the dish is best with 100% animal fat.
Never boil the fat. Temperature control is the difference between confit and deep-fried meat. A thermometer is not optional.
The curing step is not optional either. Salt breaks down the muscle fibers and seasons the meat throughout. Skip it and you'll have bland, tough meat.
Confit meat can be eaten cold from the refrigerator, shredded and served on crackers with cornichons and coarse salt. It's an entirely different dish this way—rich, silky, and almost spreadable.
Save the cooking fat. Strain out any solids and return it to a clean jar. This fat is liquid gold for cooking—use it to sauté potatoes, roast vegetables, or fry bread.
If you live somewhere very warm, store the finished confit in the freezer instead of the refrigerator. The fat keeps it fresh either way.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use regular olive oil instead of animal fat?
No. Confit depends on fat with a high smoke point that stays liquid at low temperatures. Olive oil will congeal and separate as it cools. Animal fat is essential to the technique.
What if my oven temperature fluctuates?
Ovens vary. The key is the temperature of the fat, not the oven. Use a thermometer in the pot, not just the oven dial. If your oven runs hot, lower it to 190°F. If it runs cool, raise it to 210°F. The fat temperature is your guide.
Can I cook confit on the stovetop instead of the oven?
Theoretically yes, but it's risky. The oven heats evenly from all sides. On the stovetop, the bottom burns while the top stays cool. If you must do it on the stovetop, use the lowest setting and stir occasionally, but the oven is safer and easier.
How do I know when the meat is done?
The meat is done when a fork slides through it with zero resistance—like pushing through butter. The bone pulls cleanly away from the meat. There's no guessing. Undercooked confit is tough; overcooked confit falls apart. Aim for the moment it slides but still holds its shape when moved.
Can I make confit without curing it first?
You'll end up with poached meat, not confit. The curing step is what gives confit its character—the salt penetrates the meat and breaks down muscle fibers, creating the distinctive tender texture. Skip it and you lose the whole point.
What do I do with the leftover fat?
Don't throw it away. Strain it through cheesecloth to remove meat solids and store it in a clean jar in the refrigerator. Use it to crisp potatoes, roast root vegetables, or fry bread. This fat is one of the most flavorful cooking mediums you'll ever have.