Rustic Terrine (Pâté de Campagne)

Ingredients and Supplies:

1 lb Ground Pork
1 lb Pork Shoulder, chopped into small pieces
1 lb Lamb, chopped into small pieces
¼ - ½ lb Chicken Livers, minced
½ lg Onion, minced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
¼ C Parsley, minced
¼ C Dried fruit such as currants or sour cherries (optional)
½ -1 tsp Salt
1-2 tsp Teeny Tiny Spice Co. blend of choice (see suggestions below)
2 lg Eggs
1½ Tbsp Flour (wheat or cassava)
1½ Tbsp Whiskey or Cognac
¼ C Heavy Cream
½ lb Bacon
Optional Hard boiled eggs or cooked mushrooms

Loaf pan

Roasting pan

Two pieces of cardboard cut to fit into the loaf pan

Aluminum foil

Parchment paper

Something about the size of a brick weighing a couple of pounds….perhaps a brick!

Instructions:

Combine in a bowl the salt, spice, eggs, flour, whisky/cognac, and cream. This should be a loose batter, not a dough; add additional cream or booze if needed.
In a second bowl, mix together the ground pork, chopped pork and lamb, chicken livers, onion, garlic, parsley and dried fruit.
Combine the batter with the meat mixture.
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper so that the parchment extends above the sides (don’t worry about the ends).
Lay strips of raw bacon down one side of the pan, across the bottom, and up the other side to form a bacon “crust” for the terrine.
Fill the pan with the pâté mixture, pressing down as you fill to remove any air pockets. If you are using the optional mushrooms or hard-boiled egg, fill the pan ½ way, place the mushrooms or eggs along the center of the loaf and continue filling with the pate mixture. If there is any overhanging bacon along the edge, fold it across the loaf.
Seal the loaf pan with a tinfoil top.
Heat the oven to 300º F.
Place the loaf pan into a larger roasting pan and fill the larger roasting pan with hot water to about ½ way up the side of the loaf pan.
Place into the oven and cook to an internal temperature of 140ºF about 1½ hours.
While the terrine is cooking, take the two pieces of cardboard, layer them together, and wrap with tinfoil to “waterproof” them. Make sure your brick is clean.
Remove the loaf pan from the roasting pan, place onto a plate or rimmed cookie sheet, remove the tinfoil cover, top with the cardboard platen and set the brick on top to gently but firmly compress the terrine loaf.
Refrigerate weighted overnight.
To remove the loaf, run a knife along the ends to loosen, invert the loaf pan onto a plate or cutting board, and gently tug on the parchment paper that is peaking out from under the edges of the loaf pan and it will plop right out.
Remove the parchment, slice and serve as is or with mustard, pickles, greens, etc.