Meat Terrine with Liver and Bacon

Name: Meat Terrine with Liver and Bacon
Ingredients: 800 g pork (I used ham); 250 g chicken liver; 150 g bacon (I used raw smoked pork belly); 150 g onion + 1 tbsp butter; 50 g shelled pistachios; 200 ml heavy cream (any fat content; I used 10%); 2 eggs; 2 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp cognac; 1 tbsp salt, leveled; 1 tsp nutmeg; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, leveled

A wonderfully flavorful meat dish made with pork, fragrant bacon, tender chicken liver, sautéed onion, and vibrant green pistachios. The terrine is baked in a single loaf pan, then sliced and served cold. I absolutely loved the way it turned out — the flavor is truly extraordinary and hard to describe. I'd say it's somewhere between roasted pork, headcheese, and aspic. The taste kept revealing itself to me with every new slice :-) This meat terrine is perfect for a holiday spread. One of its great advantages is that it can be made ahead of time — one or two days before your celebration. In the meantime, it will firm up, mellow, and develop a well-rounded aroma and harmonious flavor. After the party, leftover slices make excellent sandwiches. Many terrine recipes call for cutting all the meat by hand into very small pieces, which makes it especially juicy. But hand-cutting 800 g of meat that finely is not for the faint of heart, so I recommend using a meat grinder fitted with a coarse plate. For the mix-ins, I used sautéed liver — it turns out anything but dry in the terrine, quite the opposite. I also added pieces of fragrant bacon and pistachios. Since shelled pistachios aren't easy to find in stores, I bought regular salted pistachios in store bags and shelled them myself (for 50 g of shelled pistachios, get about a 150 g bag — that gives you a little extra).

Ingredients:

800 g pork (I used ham)
250 g chicken liver
150 g bacon (I used raw smoked pork belly)
150 g onion + 1 tbsp butter
50 g shelled pistachios
200 ml heavy cream (any fat content; I used 10%)
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp cognac
1 tbsp salt, leveled
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, leveled

How to cook meat terrine with liver and bacon

Cut the bacon into small cubes.

Peel the onion and finely chop it.

Cut the chicken liver into small pieces.

Place the bacon in a skillet (no oil needed). Cook for just 1–2 minutes — not until crispy, just until the aroma is released. Transfer to a plate.

In the same skillet (no need to wash it after the bacon), add a tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.

Add the chicken liver and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3–4 minutes.

Cut the pork into large chunks and run it through a meat grinder. Use a coarse plate if you have one.

Add the eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and garlic pressed through a garlic press to the ground meat.

Thoroughly mix the meat and spices together by hand.

Pour in the heavy cream and cognac, and mix well.

Add the bacon, the sautéed chicken liver with onion, and the pistachios.

Mix thoroughly but gently, so the add-ins are evenly distributed throughout.

Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan (mine is 24x10 cm). Press it down firmly as you fill the pan to eliminate any air pockets.

Tightly wrap the entire pan in two layers of foil — wrap the whole pan, don't just cover the top. Refrigerate for 3–4 hours, or overnight.

Place the pan inside a larger pan (a deep roasting pan works great). Pour in hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. Bake in an oven preheated to 160°C for about 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.

Let the finished terrine cool completely in the pan at room temperature — do not remove it from the pan. Once fully cooled, carefully drain off any liquid that has accumulated (do this only after it's completely cool, as the terrine will reabsorb some of the juices as it cools). Next, you need to press the terrine so it firms up and slices cleanly. To do this, cover it with foil folded into two or three layers. Place a weight on top — a carton of juice works well. Refrigerate for 24 hours (or at least 8 hours). After 4–5 hours, you can remove the weight.

Carefully turn the terrine out onto a serving platter and garnish as you like. I garnished mine with arugula, pickled cornichons, and cherry tomatoes. This meat terrine is sure to be a stunning, vibrant, and satisfying centerpiece for any holiday table!