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Rhône-Alpes
Crisp, golden morsels of pork, born on farms where nothing of the pig went to waste — grattons have become an indispensable fixture of the Lyonnais apéritif.
Charcuterie speciality from Rhône-Alpes.
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Grattons lyonnais trace their origins to rural traditions of using every part of the pig: on farms, nothing was thrown away, and pieces of fat — leaf fat, backfat, trimmings — were gathered and slowly rendered down. From this rendering come two products: lard, the liquid fat reused for cooking, and the grattons themselves, the deeply golden, toasted solids left at the bottom of the pot. Once cooked and seasoned, they were initially eaten on the farm at apéritif time, before making their way into Lyon’s bouchons and onto its tables, where they became an indispensable bite before sitting down to eat.
Some sources trace the use of browned pork fat back to Roman antiquity, as preserving fatty meat has always held an important place in rural diets. What is better documented is that grattons are 'anchored for several centuries in Lyon’s culinary tradition' — one of the most emblematic charcuterie specialities of the city and its surrounding region.
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Even today, grattons remain tied to the convivial atmosphere of Lyon’s bouchons, where they are offered as an appetiser before the meal, and to the counters of the city’s butchers and charcutiers — notably those at the Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. They are traditionally enjoyed at apéritif time, accompanied by a Beaujolais or a communard, that blend of crème de cassis and red wine unique to the Lyon region.
Many charcutiers and caterers have now given up making them in-house, given the significant loss of volume and the long cooking time they require — roughly three to four hours — but a few establishments have kept the artisan tradition alive for several decades. Discerning connoisseurs also recommend those from charcutiers in the Beaujolais and Charolais, reputed to be crisper and more flavourful than many grattons sold in the city today, where artisan production has become rarer.
Appearance
Small golden pieces with an irregular surface, richly coloured from slow cooking.
Taste
The clean, robust flavour of browned pork, simply seasoned with salt and pepper — some recipes add a dash of vinegar for balance.
Texture
Both crisp on the surface and tender in the centre — a texture some compare to 'pork-rind popcorn'.
the classic version, obtained by slowly rendering fatty cuts of pork (leaf fat, backfat, trimmings).
more tender, made from duck fat and skin; a speciality found mainly in the South-West.
a savoury brioche typical of the Bourbonnais, in northern Auvergne, incorporating pieces of grattons.
The fatty cuts of pork (leaf fat, backfat or trimmings) are cut into even cubes, about 2 cm across.
They cook over a low heat for two to four hours, stirred regularly, until the liquid fat separates from the solids.
Once well browned, the pieces are removed from the heat and drained; the collected fat, once strained, becomes lard.
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Grattons are traditionally enjoyed as an apéritif, paired with a Beaujolais or a communard, or served as a starter with a green salad. They also find their way into more elaborate preparations — brioches, quiches, tarts and breads — where they lend their crunch and browned-pork flavour. In Lyon, they are found on the stalls of the Halles Paul Bocuse and in the bouchons of Vieux-Lyon, where they are often served as an appetiser before the meal.
No official label (PDO (AOP), PGI (IGP) or Label Rouge) protects grattons lyonnais: it is a popular, artisan speciality passed down through peasant traditions and later the city’s bouchons, rather than a regulated appellation.
No producer is listed for this product yet.