Terrine 101

This Terrine Mold Has Cooked a Lot of Terrines

My good friend Mike inspired this post. I see from his social media posts that he’s really cooking some good stuff and now he wants to learn terrines. I’ve made many hundreds in my life from the simplest to the most intricate, and here’s a little of what I have learned.

Terrines are simple!

If you can make a meatloaf, you can make a terrine. Why? Because at the basic level, they’re very similar! You’re not scared to make meatloaf, so you shouldn’t be scared to make a humble terrine.

Terrine Mold

Terrines are baked in loaf pans and after chilling are sliced and served cold to room temperature. You might recognize the Latin root terra (earth) in terrine. The original terrine molds were earthenware and like a lot of dishes, terrines ultimately ended up named for the pan in which they were cooked.

Although you can use just about anything for a mold, most of us in the trade use the pretty much industry standard enameled cast iron Le Creuset mold that holds about 3 lbs of forcemeat. If you use a different size mold, you’ll have to experiment a bit with the quantities of forcemeat and seasonings.

Before you run out and buy a $175 Le Creuset terrine, use a loaf pan or something else that you have on hand until you’re sure you want to make the investment. In a super pinch, I have used a disposable aluminum pan from the grocery store. Talk about ghetto!

A Primer on Ingredients

There are four ingredients-related things to think about:

Forcemeat

Fat

Interior Garnish

Flavorings

Forcemeat. This is the meat paste that forms the body of the terrine. While I’m a big fan of duck terrine with green peppercorns and orange zest, it’s best to start with store bought ground pork. It’s cheap, forgiving, and damn near impossible to mess up.

Once you have a few terrines under your belt, you can start custom grinding meats, producing layered terrines, and other fancy things such as putting bacon-wrapped rabbit loins down the center of the terrine. Then you can branch out to seafood, mousseline, and vegetable terrines.

Fat. Fat makes the terrine. Commercial ground pork has enough fat that you don’t need to worry. Otherwise, think about a 70:30 ratio of meat to fat or even 2:1. I also will often add a bit more fat in the interior garnish plus a bit of heavy cream in the flavoring mix. Professional charcutiers weigh the meat and the fat and grind them together in their own unique formulas, but you don’t need to be that technical.

Interior Garnish. This is the visual aspect that comes into play when you slice the terrine. For example, cubes of ham stay pink and cubes of fatback (or even raw chicken breast) stay white and contrast with the surrounding forcemeat.

Interior garnishes can also offer textural contrast in addition to visual contrast. Consider green peppercorns or pistachios which add crunch as well as a contrasting green color. Or dried fruit or other nuts. Dried morel or porcini mushrooms. Olives. Sun-dried tomatoes. Stay simple at first; play later.

Flavorings. Because terrines are generally intended to be served cold and cold numbs our sense of taste, they want to be highly seasoned. [Ooh, but grill extra thick slabs of terrine on a smoky fire and serve them warm for a special treat!] Flavorings break down into three categories: liquid seasonings, herbs and spices, and cooked alliums.

Liquid Seasonings. It is common to use small amounts of highly concentrated stock to amplify the meat flavors. It’s also extremely common to add some kind of alcohol, such as a splash of Port or red wine. Imagine a shot each of brandy and Grand Marnier in that duck terrine I’ve already mentioned. I also use some heavy cream in which to disperse my dry ingredients.

I will also include an egg in the liquid flavorings to help the terrine bind (but in the case of most red meat with high protein content, an egg isn’t necessary). Eggs or other binders are necessary in low protein (for example, vegetable) terrines.

Liver often enters the equation at the liquid stage. If I’m adding liver, I usually blend it with some of the liquid to smooth it out. At other times, I chop the liver for a texture effect and add it as an interior garnish. But most of the time, I don’t add liver: in the restaurant business, I found Americans to be skittish of liver in terrines. For family, however, I am well known for my chicken liver terrine that contains no other meat. My peoples can eat some chicken livers.

Herbs and Spices. All terrines will need some salt, though if you’re using a highly salted interior garnish such as smoked bacon or ham, you’ll want to tread lightly. For pork terrines, I like to include a little sweet spice such as allspice, cinnamon, and/or cardamom. Ground bay and ground thyme are wonderful as well. Have some dried mushroom crumbs laying around? Put them in a spice mill and add the mushroom powder to your terrine. Fresh herbs rarely feature in terrines (but then, there’s jambon persillé, a classic aspic-bound terrine featuring lots of fresh parsley).

Cooked Alliums. Most non-seafood terrines will include some onion, garlic, shallots, leek or some combination. I always sweat alliums in butter or olive oil such that they give off their water while sweating and not into the forcemeat of the terrine, which could weaken the terrine a little and cause the slices to break.

Basic Procedure

Mix the liquid seasonings with the dried seasonings, then add the interior garnish. You’re trying to get even distribution in the liquid of all the seasonings before adding the meat.

Add the ground meat and mix well. I use my hands because I want to feel the texture of the forcemeat. You can use a paddle mixer if you like.

Taste the forcemeat and adjust seasonings. You can fry a little forcemeat and taste it, but I prefer to poach it. Frying the forcemeat caramelizes the surface and doesn’t give as true an idea of the flavor of the final product as poaching. But, who am I kidding? I’ve made so many terrines in my life, that for home use, I don’t taste them. But if you’re starting out, taste the forcemeat. And remember, you’ll be tasting it warm. Your guests will be tasting it cold and cold requires a bit more seasoning.

I coat my molds with pan spray but it probably isn’t necessary. Make sure you press the forcemeat into the mold well to eliminate any air pockets. This is super-critical if you are adding large-sized interior garnish.

Cook the terrine low and slow (300-325F) until a thermometer in the center registers 145F. Final temperature should be at least 155F. Terrines will continue to climb another 10 degrees out of the oven.

Cooking at high heat forces the proteins to bind hard, to shrink, and forces a lot of the fat out of the matrix. Fat is what keeps the terrine from being rubbery, not to mention what makes it taste great. Along these lines, if you’re using a thin metal mold, you may want to use a water bath to moderate the temperature of the terrine in the oven. I only use a water bath with terrine de foie gras, not wanting to screw up $250 of raw product.

Refrigerate the terrine overnight to solidify the fat and give it maximum structure. To unmold, run a knife blade around the sides of the mold and pop the terrine out.

A Sort of Recipe

Remember the line from the original Pirates of the Caribbean: “…the code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules.”? So go all my recipes, this one included. Learn the procedure, understand the ratios, and let your palate guide you. Mistakes are still edible and not costly, and there’s always next time.

The following “recipe” is for three pounds of ground pork forcemeat, about as simple a terrine as possible.

½ medium yellow onion or two shallots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

Canola or olive oil or butter

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup Port, red wine, or brandy

1 extra large egg

1-1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon per pound of mix)

½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper)

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pinch cayenne

½ cup shelled pistachios

¼ pound diced ham

¼ pound diced bacon, fatback, or guanciale

2-1/2 pounds ground pork

Procedure

Sweat the onion and garlic in fat until translucent. Add to large mixing bowl.

Add the liquid ingredients including the egg and mix well.

Add the remaining spices and mix well.

Add the pistachios, ham, and fatback. Mix well.

Add the pork and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly distributed.

Cook a little of the forcemeat and adjust seasoning to your palate.

Place in mold in a slow oven and cook until the thermometer reads 145F.

Remove from the oven and cool.

Refrigerate overnight.

Unmold and slice.

OK, Mike. A little long-winded and I hope that doesn't put you off. Your turn. I expect photos!

Andy Guest State Park/PaveMint/Glen Manor

For our walk this week, Ann chose Andy Guest State Park in Bentonville for the ability to take a swim in the river mid-hike. She certainly didn't plan on an almost 3-mile traverse of open ground in the blazing 97-degree heat, nor could she predict that my hip would go south on this particular walk. In the picture below, you can see the open ground to the left of the river for the entire frame of the photo: yeah, we walked that in the blazing mid-day sun, me with a gimpy hip. Bad plan. Suffice it to say that although it was a beautiful walk, there were parts of it that we hated.

Our day started about 8:30am as we entered the park off of US340 and proceeded to the Visitor's Center a couple of miles into the park to use the restrooms. Once parked there, we looked at the map and saw that the hike we planned to take started just slightly more than a mile upriver but that there was a connecting trail from the Visitor's Center to where we wanted to be. Given that our hike was only about 8.5 miles, we decided to just hoof it the extra mile for a total of about 10.7 miles on the day.

This view of the park was taken on the Overlook Trail perhaps a hundred yards north and 30 feet below the actual wood-deck overlook for which the trail is named. This view is actually prettier because it is framed by the surrounding trees. The trees have been cleared around the overlook but otherwise the view is pretty much the same. The Massanutten Mountains to the west are in the background.

South Fork Shenandoah River, Andy Guest State Park

Looking Down on Brown-Eyed Susans

Backlit Moth Mullein

Although I have been expecting to see Hoary Mountain Mint during our hikes this spring and summer, I haven't seen any until this hike. I found a huge patch of it and another of what looked to be escaped Spearmint.

Hoary Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum incanum

These American Bellflowers were so beautiful but there was no way really to photograph them in the very dim light of the forest understory. Just to get this, I opened my lens as far as possible and backed off to the minimum focal length. Unfortunately, with this setting, there is no depth of field and getting a decent view of a gorgeous flower was nearly impossible.

Pretty American Bellflower, Campanula americana

I've been keeping an eye out for all the lobelias, but this Pale-Spike Lobelia is the first lobelia that I have seen in bloom this year.

Pale-Spike Lobelia, Lobelia spicata

There are miles and miles and miles of trails at Andy Guest State Park, more formally known as Shenandoah River State Park, some winding along the cliffs and bluffs fronting the river, some in the floodplain along the river, and some running in and out of the glens and creek ravines of the surrounding woods. We worked our way south along the river through the woods for about three and a half miles and then worked our way back along the riverbank. We stopped for lunch at an observation point, a slight tree-covered promontory in the line of bluffs a few hundred yards off the river, on the northern end of the Redtail Ridge trail.

The network of trails is well-marked on the ground, but at times, relating what we were seeing on the ground with our map and with the written description of the hike was confusing. Still, with the river as an unmistakable landmark, it was easy enough to get where we knew we had to go, despite the slight confusion.

River and Floodplain from Redtail Ridge Trail

Enjoying Lunch at the Observation Point

I got a brisket in last week and so I corned it and used it in making our lunch for the trip. As Ann said, "This would be really good with a beer."

Corned Beef and Slaw Wraps

While we were stopped for lunch, Ann spied this prickly pear just down the dry slope from us. We missed the gorgeous yellow blooms (ours at home bloomed 4-6 weeks ago), but the fruits are starting to whiten. Later on this fall, the fruits, the tunas, will go red and will be good eating for something or someone.

Eastern Prickly Pear, Opuntia humifusa, Fruits Starting to Ripen

Beat up Spicebush Swallowtail with Spoon-Like Tail

Down along the river, the long walk in the sun commenced. Although it was a great opportunity to see wildflowers and critters, we kept moving as fast as we could, given my crappy hip, to get out of the sun. At times, Ann would be thirty or forty yards ahead of me in the span of time that it took me to go ten yards.

Common Soapwort, Saponaria officinalis

Despite the oppressive heat, I confess to taking a minute to watch a group of Red-Headed Woodpeckers hawking bugs from the top of a large Sycamore and the top of another immense Cottonwood tree. Though we think of woodpeckers getting their food by pecking insects out from dead snags (or the ground in the case of Flickers), Red-Heads are unique in that they act like large flycatchers, sallying forth and taking bugs mid-air on the wing. It is very impressive to watch. I wish I could have stayed longer.

Red-Headed Woodpecker, Click to Enlarge

Successful Mission; Enlarge to See Insect in Bill

Skittish Doe; Wild Parsnip in Foreground

About a mile along the river, we came upon an opening down to the river and Ann was off, trying to cool off from the long march in the sun. She was surprised at the current in the north-flowing river. After saddling back up with another mile to go in the sun, we saw a lot more wildflowers from here on out as we veered slightly more inland from the river, but we really didn't stop to admire them as the sun was so fierce.

Cooling Off!

Butter and Eggs

A Sunflower, Jerusalem Artichoke?

Common Teasel, Dipsacus fullonum

Cutleaf Teasel, Dipsacus laciniatus

Tickseed, Coreopsis verticillata

Back at the Visitor's Center, after getting off the trail, we were brutally hot and Ann was at the point of heat exhaustion. We sat in the car with the AC blasting on full for a long time before setting off home. Ann had wanted to stop by Glen Manor on the way back, but after the hike, she just wanted to go home and who could blame her? So you can imagine my surprise when as we were pulling in to Front Royal she asked if we could go to PaveMint for a beer and lunch. Well, all right then!

Ann Liked This Dogfish Head Namaste

Wings

Fish and Chips for Ann

Duck Tacos for Ed

About a half an hour after we arrived at PaveMint, about the end of beer number one, Mike texted me that he was on his way to Glen Manor, asking if we wanted to join. Ann wanted to head home after lunch, so I demurred. Meanwhile, Kelly texted Ann asking if we would come later for a mystery tasting. Methinks Mike and Kelly were working in cahoots. And so after we finished our lunch, we headed off to Glen Manor.

Look Who We Found!

Although the tasting room closes at 5:00, the staff couldn't shoo everyone away until about 5:30 at which point we set up tables on the back patio and Kelly brought out another of her huge ("impromptu") spreads.

Pimento Cheese

Cookies; BLT Dip

Miraculously Recovered!

There were three brown-bagged mystery wines on this occasion. The first had a nose of sulfurous stone fruit and white flowers with medium gold color, good body, and OK acidity. It could have been Chenin or Viognier or a bunch of other things. It turned out to be Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. I've tasted all kinds of fruit profiles on SB except this: live and learn. The next wine had a bit of oak to the nose but wasn't very aromatic otherwise. It had plenty of body, light melon fruit, and was lacking acid. It could have been manipulated (oak/malo) Chardonnay. It turned out to be a local Roussanne. The final wine was a very aromatic red that was dull ruby going brick around the edges. The nose reminded me of cool climate Nebbiolo, but the alcohol was very high. The palate reminded me of Nebbiolo too except for the fruit was a bit too briary and extracted. I was stumped. It turned out to be 2012 Cabernet Franc from next door at Chester Gap Cellars.

Mystery Bottle: Local Roussanne

The Home Team

Jeff and His Domain, Skyline Drive in Background

The Huckster, Late Arrival to the Party

For those who know the vineyard, this photo will appear reversed; the new vines being on the north side and not the south. This is actually a picture of the vineyard reflected from the winery window.

Mirror Image of Vineyard

About dusk, the Barn Swallows made a raucous appearance, coming in to roost for the night and we knew it was time to leave. We helped Kelly clean up the mess and then made our way back home, having bitten off a bit too much today. Ann was unconscious by hiker midnight. I was soon to follow.

Barn Swallows Coming in to Roost

Linden Vineyards/Panzanella

It was early Sunday morning (10am is early in our house) on our last day of annual holiday and Ann and I were sitting in the sun room, drinking coffee, chatting, and chewing on what to do for our final act of vacation, when I received a text from Mike, "Scott and I are doing to go to Linden today. Would you all like to join us?"

Linden, Beautiful in all Seasons

Needless to say, Ann said yes in a nanosecond and 90 minutes later, Mike and his friend Scott rolled up to our house and Mike offered to drive. While we were texting, I mentioned that I was making a big panzanella for dinner, way more than we could possibly eat, and invited them to dinner after the winery.



Mike's Friend Scott



Jim's Wisteria is Ten Days ahead of Ours

World's Most Expensive Panzanella

I call this panzanella the world's most expensive because I was in sticker shock over how much things cost in a grocery store. I get into a grocery store once or twice a year and then only to pick up a specific item that just cannot be found elsewhere. The last time I actually shopped for ingredients for a dish in a grocery store, well, I just cannot remember the last time. It would have been well more than a decade ago.

We all pitched in making the panzanella when we got home. Ann made a dressing from balsamic vinegar, mustard, and olive oil in a big salad bowl. I sliced a loaf of multigrain bread into croutons and tossed them with olive oil, garlic, and herbs before putting them in the oven on a sheet tray under the broiler. The other items in the salad are salame, mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, and arugula.

Mike Brought Dessert

 We finished off the evening with fresh berries and pound cake that Mike had brought along.

Glen Manor Vineyards

We finally made our first visit of the year to Glen Manor Vineyards; our last visit was in late November. Seriously? Has it been that long? Our calendar is so full that we just cannot get to do the things we want to nearly as often as we like. Through much persistence, Ann finally put together a group of us (more than six: Shh! Don't tell Jeff!) for a picnic there this weekend: Matthew and Michael, Bill and Drew, Mike (Dennis is overseas), Amanda and Dimitri, and Michele and Christophe.

When we walked in around 1pm, Kelly, Jorge, and Jane were all busy pouring for a counter full of tasters. Amanda and Dimitri were already there and tasting and the rest of the crew arrived over the next hour or so. Kelly brought over a glass of 2012 rosé for us to sip on while waiting to taste: it was really great to see them busy! The 2012 is a beautiful wine, but there isn't enough of it for us to pour it at the restaurant. When the counter crowd finally thinned out, Jane finally tasted us on the 2011 Cabernet Franc, which is one of the very best wines I have tasted from 2011, and the much more structured and predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Vin Rouge. We're still waiting on Jeff to release the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, which I needled him about when he showed up late in the day, after having been out spraying in the vineyards since 2am, poor bastard.

Kelly, Jorge, and Jane Busy, Busy!

On a very overcast day that was threatening rain, Kelly was kind enough to save us seats under the shade canopy outside and that was fortunate because at one point, a squall blew through from the southeast. It was so loud in approaching that we all turned and watched it blow right up to us. Rarely do you see a line of rain approaching like this. In any case, it was over about as quickly as it blew up and we didn't miss a beat.

Mike "I don't like rosé" Hoffmaster

Matthew and an Especially Nice Photo of Michael's Chin

Dimitri and Amanda

What is She Thinking About?

Excellent Eats

The eats were fantastic. Ann baked a loaf of sage and roasted garlic bread, I baked a pepperoni-spiced terrine (paprika, garlic, pistachios, Mangalitsa pork belly, a ton of ground fennel seed, red wine, basil, and oregano), Michele made a great pasta salad, and M&M kicked in tuna tartare. I also brought along an amazing Valençay clone cheese from Shepherd's Whey Creamery, and two salame from Olympic Provisions: chorizo navarre and salchichón.

Variable Weather: Rainy to Bright Overcast with Late Sun

A Jigsaw Puzzle Photo: Compare Here

Ann Holding Court with Drew and Bill

Just as Mike and I were leaving to go get Carter, Jeff finally arrived after a quick nap and a shower. I am sorry I didn't get more time to talk with him but it was good to see him nonetheless. I did however get a few minutes to chat with his brother Steve and a couple minutes chatting with Kelly. It's been too long since we were there and that just wasn't enough time to catch up.

Amanda, Dimitri, Bill, Drew, and Mike all joined us back at the house, but Mike left before I threw together some pasta. We continued the festivities out on the patio.