Lentils with Homemade Petit Salé and Smoked Pork
Lentils with petit salé is a traditional French pork and lentil stew made with cured pork belly, smoked meat, sausage, vegetables, and a rich cooking broth. It is different from a quick lentil soup because the flavor comes from slowly simmered pork, then using that broth to cook the lentils until they turn thick, savory, and almost creamy.
This recipe is based on my YouTube video, with a few adjustments since publication to make it easier to reproduce at home. The big correction is the salt: in the video, I make the petit salé by feel, but for a written recipe, the pork belly needs a clear salt ratio. Too much salt and the whole pot becomes aggressive. Done properly, the lentils absorb the pork broth without tasting flat or too salty.
I make it this way because the lentils need more than water. They need the smoked pork, the salted belly, the sausage, the bones, the garlic, the onions, and the carrots working together. What I look for here is not a soupy texture. The lentils should be thick enough to hold on a spoon, with pieces of pork tucked inside and slices of sausage served on top.
The mistake to avoid is using regular salted broth with salted pork and smoked meat. That is how you end up with a pot that tastes good for two seconds, then only tastes like salt. Use unsalted or low-sodium broth, rinse the cured belly before cooking, and season only at the end.
This is a hearty comfort food recipe, rich in protein and very filling. I usually think of it as cold-weather food, but honestly, it works anytime you want a traditional one-pot meal that can feed a table and leave leftovers for the next day.
What Makes This Version Different
This version is closer to a traditional French lentil and pork stew than a fast weeknight lentil recipe. The petit salé is made at home, the pork broth is used as the cooking liquid, and the lentils are cooked with vegetables and pieces of pork until the whole thing becomes thick and generous.
It is not the same kind of dish as a bean stew like a pork and bean stew, which has a softer bean texture and a different sauce. It is also different from French pork and cabbage potée, where cabbage is the main vegetable and the broth stays lighter. Here, the lentils are the base of the plate.
If you like old-style pork dishes, this sits in the same traditional family as a stovetop cassoulet or traditional pork feet stew, but it is less gelatinous than pork feet stew and less bean-heavy than cassoulet.
Ingredients You Will Need
For the homemade petit salé, use pork belly, salt, cracked pepper, thyme, and bay leaves. I prefer pork belly because it has enough fat to stay moist during the long simmer. Lean pork would dry out and would not give the broth the same body.
For the meat, use the cured pork belly, smoked pork belly or thick smoked bacon, smoked sausage, and pork shank. Morteau sausage is ideal if you can find it. If not, use a good smoked pork sausage that can simmer without falling apart.
For the lentils, use green or brown lentils. French green lentils are excellent because they keep their shape. Do not use red lentils here. They cook too fast and will turn the dish into a paste before the pork flavor has time to settle into the pot.
The base vegetables are simple: onions, garlic, and carrots. I used colorful carrots in the video, but regular carrots are perfect. The important part is to sweat them first in duck fat or pork fat so they start releasing their sweetness before the lentils go in.
If you need help with basic prep, clean knife work makes this dish easier. Dice the onions evenly, like in this guide to cutting onions, and keep the garlic from browning too much using the same idea as mincing garlic without burning it.
Making the Homemade Petit Salé
Start the petit salé four days before cooking. For every 2 pounds of pork belly, use about 1 ounce of fine sea salt. If using Diamond Crystal kosher salt, that is roughly 3 tablespoons. If using fine sea salt by volume, it is closer to 1 1/2 tablespoons. Salt type matters, so weight is better if you can do it.
Mix the salt with cracked black pepper. Rub it all over the pork belly, including the sides. Add thyme and torn bay leaves. Wrap the belly tightly and refrigerate it for 4 days.
After curing, rinse the pork belly quickly under cold water and pat it dry. If the belly looks heavily salted or you used a very small piece of meat, soak it in cold water for 30 minutes, then pat dry. This step is not fancy, but it saves the recipe. The pork will still be seasoned, but the broth will not become too salty.
This is a refrigerated cure, not shelf-stable preserved meat. Keep it cold and cook it after the curing time.
Cooking the Pork Broth
Place the cured pork belly, smoked pork belly, pork shank, pork bones if using, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and cloves in a large pot. Cover with unsalted or low-sodium broth. The liquid should come just over the meat.
Bring it up slowly, then reduce to a gentle simmer. You want little bubbles, not a violent boil. If the pot is jumping too much, the sausage can split later and the pork can tighten.
Simmer the pork for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the shank. Pork belly may be ready earlier, but the shank needs to be tender. You know it is ready when the meat gives easily when pressed with tongs and the bone starts to loosen
Add the smoked sausage during the last 25 to 30 minutes. Do not pierce it. Let it heat gently in the broth.
At this point, the kitchen should smell smoky, salty, garlicky, and deep. The broth should taste flavorful but not harsh. If it already tastes too salty, dilute it with a little water before using it for the lentils.
This broth is the backbone of the recipe, the same way a good stock gives depth to homemade brown stock or a slow braise like pork bourguignon.
Cooking the Lentils
In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, warm the duck fat over medium heat. Add the diced onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. The vegetables should soften slightly and smell sweet, but the garlic should not burn.
Add the lentils and stir them into the fat and vegetables. This small step helps the lentils pick up flavor before the broth goes in.
Add 3 quarts of hot pork cooking broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 to 35 minutes, uncovered or partially covered, until the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally so the bottom does not catch.
What I look for here is a thick texture, not dry, not watery. The lentils should still hold their shape, but the liquid around them should look lightly creamy from the starch and pork broth. If the pot gets too dry before the lentils are tender, add more broth or water, a little at a time.
While the lentils cook, cut some of the cooked petit salé and smoked pork belly into thick lardons. Add them to the lentils during the final 10 minutes so they warm through and season the pot.
Taste only at the end. Add salt if needed, but there is a good chance you will not need much. For more seasoning control, the same logic applies as in this guide to seasoning a recipe properly: taste the full dish, not just the liquid.
Serving
Spoon the lentils into warm bowls. Add slices of smoked sausage, pieces of pork shank, thick chunks of petit salé, and smoked pork belly on top.
The plate should look generous. Not delicate. This is winter food, hunting-cabin food, big-table food. The lentils sit underneath, thick and dark from the broth, and the pork sits on top so everyone sees what they are getting.
Serve it with mustard on the side if you like. A sharp Dijon cuts through the richness nicely.
Substitutions
If you cannot find Morteau sausage, use kielbasa, garlic sausage, smoked pork sausage, or another firm smoked sausage. Avoid very soft fresh sausages unless you cook them separately.
Pork belly can be replaced with thick bacon slab, but reduce the added salt because bacon is already cured.
Pork shank can be replaced with ham hock. If using smoked ham hock, be extra careful with salt.
Duck fat can be replaced with pork fat, bacon fat, butter, or a neutral oil. Duck fat gives the best old-style flavor, but the recipe still works without it.
Green or brown lentils are best. French green lentils hold their shape beautifully. Red lentils are not recommended.
Vegetable broth can be replaced with chicken broth, but it must be unsalted or low-sodium.
FAQ
Can I make this without curing the pork belly for 4 days?
Yes, but it will not be true petit salé. Use thick smoked bacon or a slab of salted pork belly instead. Rinse it first, then simmer it gently in the broth.
Why rinse the pork after curing?
Rinsing removes excess surface salt. The inside of the pork is already seasoned. This keeps the final broth from becoming too salty, especially because the lentils absorb so much liquid.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes. This dish reheats very well. The lentils will thicken in the fridge, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, but freeze the lentils and meat in portions. The lentils may soften slightly after thawing, but the flavor stays good.
What kind of lentils should I use?
Use green lentils, brown lentils, or French green lentils. They hold up during simmering. Avoid red lentils because they break down too quickly.
Is this recipe salty?
It can be if the broth is salted or if the pork belly is over-cured. Use unsalted broth, rinse the cured pork, and season only at the end.
Can I make it lighter?
You can use less pork belly and more shank, or remove some visible fat after simmering. It will still be hearty, but less rich.
What to Serve With Lentils and Petit Salé
This dish is already a full meal, but a potato side can work if you are feeding a big table. I like something simple, such as baked potatoes in the air fryer, especially if the lentils are served more like a stew.
For a more French-style plate, classic pommes boulangères make sense because they share that broth-cooked, rustic feeling. If you want something richer for a Sunday meal, French gratin dauphinois is a good match, but serve smaller portions because the lentils already have pork belly and sausage.
If you want another traditional simmered dish for the same kind of comfort-food table, try classic poule au pot or classic blanquette de veal. Both are more delicate than this pork and lentil dish, but they belong in the same slow-cooked family.
Lentils with Homemade Petit Salé and Smoked Pork
Ingredients
- For the homemade petit salé
- 2 lb pork belly
- 1 oz fine sea salt or about 3 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 3 bay leaves torn
- For the pork broth
- Homemade cured pork belly rinsed and patted dry
- 1 lb smoked pork belly or thick slab bacon
- 1 pork shank about 2 1/2 to 3 lb, or 6 pork shank slices
- 2 smoked sausages preferably Morteau-style
- 4 garlic cloves lightly crushed
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 3 to 4 qt unsalted or low-sodium vegetable broth plus more if needed
- For the lentils
- 1 2/3 lb green or brown lentils
- 2 tbsp duck fat
- 2 onions diced
- 4 carrots diced or sliced
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 3 qt hot pork cooking broth
- Salt and black pepper only if needed at the end
- Dijon mustard for serving, optional
Instructions
- Four days before cooking, mix the salt and cracked pepper. Rub the pork belly all over with the mixture, then add thyme and bay leaves.
- Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 4 days.
- Before cooking, rinse the pork belly quickly under cold water and pat dry. If it tastes or looks heavily salted, soak it in cold water for 30 minutes, then pat dry.
- Place the cured pork belly, smoked pork belly, pork shank, garlic, cloves, bay leaves, thyme, and broth in a large pot.
- Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the pork is tender.
- Add the smoked sausages during the last 25 to 30 minutes of cooking. Do not pierce them.
- Remove the meats from the broth. Keep the broth hot.
- In a large pot, warm the duck fat. Add onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Add the lentils and stir for 1 minute.
- Add 3 quarts of hot pork broth. Simmer for 25 to 35 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the mixture is thick.
- Cut part of the cured pork belly and smoked pork belly into thick lardons. Add them to the lentils during the last 10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning only at the end.
- Serve the lentils hot with sliced sausage, pork shank, petit salé, smoked pork belly, and Dijon mustard if desired.
Video
Notes
FAQ
Can I make this without curing the pork belly for 4 days?
Yes, but it will not be true petit salé. Use thick smoked bacon or a slab of salted pork belly instead. Rinse it first, then simmer it gently in the broth.Why rinse the pork after curing?
Rinsing removes excess surface salt. The inside of the pork is already seasoned. This keeps the final broth from becoming too salty, especially because the lentils absorb so much liquid.Can I make this ahead?
Yes. This dish reheats very well. The lentils will thicken in the fridge, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating.Can I freeze it?
Yes, but freeze the lentils and meat in portions. The lentils may soften slightly after thawing, but the flavor stays good.What kind of lentils should I use?
Use green lentils, brown lentils, or French green lentils. They hold up during simmering. Avoid red lentils because they break down too quickly.Is this recipe salty?
It can be if the broth is salted or if the pork belly is over-cured. Use unsalted broth, rinse the cured pork, and season only at the end.Can I make it lighter?
You can use less pork belly and more shank, or remove some visible fat after simmering. It will still be hearty, but less rich.🔗 Useful Links
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