The Godfather of Meatloaf
Actually it isn't meat loaf it is a Counrty Terrine or Country Pate. Sounds far more sophisticated.
The one above is from 2008, today we will go through the assembly process. At the time I write this an uncut one is the blog header picture.
Bacon wrapped meatloaf.
2 lb. boneless fatty pork (may be ground, but fresh ground is best)
1 lb. boneless lean veal (I buy a breast, trim a lean pound and grind)
1 lb pork liver (you could use chicken or beef and it also will need to be ground if you can't)
3 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 large onion, finely chopped and sauteed in butter
3 garlic cloves - chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp mixed spice - for me fresh ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika (hot), mustards, ground ginger
1 tbsp mixed dry herbs
1 tbsp Kosher salt
6 large eggs
1/2 cup brandy or cognac
3 pounds lightly naturally smoked sliced bacon, thin slice
garnish(s): chicken liver, proscuitto, pistachio, mushrooms ...
Cut meat into small cubes for your grinder, mix together and grind. Remember you want the grinder just out of an ice bath, and don't forget to steel the blade before you ice it. If you buy it ground keep it very cold.
Chopped onion
Sauteed
The meat, uncubed, the pork is from a whole shoulder, the veal from a breast using only lean (the rest goes in the stock pot for the veal, the pork will make another pate and some gets smoked tomorrow).
Cubed
Grind.
Ground, it will get further mixed. That steel bowl is sitting in an ice bath. Cold people Cold.
Basketweave the bacon on the bottom of a 2.5 quart earthen ware or glass gratin dish. Corning made one, just the right size pictured below.
Start with four pieces of bacon in one corner, two going left to right, two going up and down. Then add two more to the left of the first two going up and down, lifting the first left/right piece so this new piece goes under. Do the same for another left right row. Always over then under, or under then over.
Cold people cold.
Mix all other ingrediants except bacon and garnish together.
Non meat or egg ingredients
Mix it, I use my hands, clean hands, but my hand, mix well.
Half fill with the mixture, layer in the garnish(s) ands fill with rest of mixture.
Finish the basket weave.
Arrange 5 small bay leaves on top in the circa 1965 crest of my alma mater Shimer and put in 350 F oven, with lid on on a half sheet for 1.5 hours. Internal temperature of 150+, may be a little pink. Correction, when it reaches 130 F turn off oven, leave door shut, remove when internal temp reaches 150 F.
Cool and refrigerate at least overnight. For Thursday I'm making this on a Sunday. It will keep perhaps 10 days, in food saver bags, it will freeze for at least a year.
You can see where this stands in the menu schema for Thanksgiving 2010 here.
Looks good. I have always wanted to make pate. I had originally planned to make it this year, but other commitments put it on the back burner. I picking some up from a nice restaurant on Tuesday. Maybe next year...
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It actually isn't that hard, and it isn't that expensive. The priciest ingrediant, other than the garnish(s), is the bacon.
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Looks lovely. Hope you have a happy holiday. I know the meal will be delicious!!!
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