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Chef John's Country Pâté

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PREP TIME
70 min
COOKING TIME
105 min
TOTAL TIME
790 min
SERVINGS
12 servings
French
Chef John's Country Pâté
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 6 ounces duck leg meat
  • 4 ounces fatty bacon, chopped
  • 4 ounces chicken livers, roughly chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
  • 1/4 cup cognac
  • 5 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon pink curing salt (such as Instacure™ #1)
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup shelled whole pistachios
  • 8 strips bacon, or as needed
Instructions
1
Combine the aromatic spices, including cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and cayenne pepper, in a small bowl to create the spice blend.
2
Place the pork shoulder, duck meat, chopped bacon, chicken livers, onion, shallot, parsley, cognac, salt, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix everything together until it's evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld.
3
In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream, bread crumbs, and eggs until they're well combined.
4
Transfer the pork mixture to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Place it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to make it easier to grind the meat.
5
Grind the pork mixture into a bowl using the meat-grinder attachment of a stand mixer. Add the dried cherries and pistachios, then gently fold in the cream mixture until it's just combined.
6
Arrange the bacon strips crosswise in a 9x5-inch loaf pan, allowing some of them to hang over the edges. Trim some of the strips to fit the ends of the pan.
7
Fill the pan to the top with the ground pork mixture, smooth out the top. Cover the surface with strips of bacon and fold over the edges to create a seal. Wrap tightly with parchment paper, then cover it with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
8
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Transfer the pan to a deep pot or Dutch oven and pour in hot tap water, leaving about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up the side of the pan. Cover it with a lid.
9
Bake in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 155 degrees F (68 degrees C), taking about 1 3/4 to 2 hours.
10
Transfer the pan to a paper-towel-lined surface to absorb any excess moisture. If the mixture has risen above the top edge of the pan, press it down gently with a heavy object. Remove the aluminum foil and leave the parchment paper on top. Transfer the pan to another paper-towel-lined baking dish. Cut a piece of cardboard slightly smaller than the top of the pan and wrap it with aluminum foil, placing it on the parchment paper. Press down firmly with weights like canned food.
11
Refrigerate for at least 8 hours to chill and compress the pâté.
12
To unmold the pâté, pour very hot water into a large bowl. Dip the mold into hot water for 1 to 2 seconds, then carefully turn it out onto a paper-towel-lined dish. Chill the pâté again before slicing it into individual portions.