In his survey of cooking pork from every part of the pig and using every possible cooking technique, Hog author Richard H. Turner presents recipes from around the world. Here is a rough, rustic French-style terrine. Add some bread, some pickles, and of course red wine to give you a wonderful fall meal. The recipe is classic in ingredients. I enjoy it for its attention to detail. If you have wanted to make pâté but been shy, this hand-holding recipe will turn you into a country French chef — or at least an imaginary one for one great, great meal.
This recipe assumes you have some time and a meat grinder. If you have neither, have your butcher do the grinding for you and make the necessary adjustments. You won’t pass French Customs in this case, but it will still be delicious.
If, and I’m not sure this will happen, you do happen to have leftovers, or if you need to prepare this dish way ahead in time, the terrine will keep in your refrigerator for a week. And, do note that, after cooking, this pâté has to refrigerate for two days before eating. I know, that’s a long, long time. Just remember that pâté is definitely not fast food.
While you have probably had meatloaf sandwiches, you may never have succumbed to a terrine sandwich: homemade mayo, great French bread, some cornichons, and a thick slab of pâté. It’s a lunch that will make you famous in your office.
Country Pâté
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ pounds diced pork shoulder
- 14 ounces pork liver, trimmed and sliced
- ¼ teaspoon quatre epices
- 2 ½ tablespoons sea salt flakes
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ cups bread crumbs
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons apple brandy
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- About 10 ½ ounces sliced back fat, lardo, or bacon, enough to line your terrine
Preparation:
Put the meat, quatre epices, salt, and pepper into a large bowl and toss together. Then cover and refrigerate overnight. Chill the coarse-grind attachments of your meat grinder.
Next day, put the bread crumbs into a large bowl. In a nonstick skillet, sweat the onion and garlic gently in the oil until softened. Add the apple brandy and then carefully ignite it to burn off the alcohol. Stir in the heavy cream, then pour the mixture over the bread crumbs, stir to combine, and let cool.
Take the marinated meat from the refrigerator and add it to the bread-crumb mixture, along with the eggs and herbs. Mix well, then grind to a coarse texture. Test the mixture by frying a small portion and tasting it. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Line a terrine mold with heat-resistant plastic leaving enough overhanging to wrap over the top and then line again with sliced back fat, lardo, or bacon (whichever you have chosen to use), leaving enough overhanging to wrap over the top. Pack the pâté mix into your mold and fold the back fat, lardo, or bacon over the top, followed by the plastic wrap.
Line the bottom of a roasting pan with a sheet of cardboard (this moderates the heat on the top of the terrine). Place the terrine on top of the cardboard then pour very hot water into the roasting pan to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the terrine. Bake in the oven for 1 ½ hours, or until an internal temperature of 160°F is reached.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 48 hours before eating.
Source: Hog by Richard H. Turner [Mitchell Beazley, 2015]