The Rules of Charcuterie

Appears in
French
French

By Damien Pignolet

Published 2005

  • About
  • Purchasing the meat: ask the butcher to trim the meat thoroughly, to obtain the specified weights.
  • Salt: allow 2 per cent, that is 20g of sea salt per kg of boneless, trimmed meat, poultry, liver or game; the same percentage applies to terrines and boudins made with fish or shellfish.
  • Pepper: allow 4g of freshly ground pepper per kg.
  • Quatre-épices: allow 2-3g per kg.
  • Mincing: this is best done in a mincer, since food processors tend to mash the meat and compromise its texture. Always cut the meat into walnut-sized pieces and make sure it is very cold before passing it through the coarse mincing plate of a domestic mincer. If you don’t have a mincer, ask the butcher to pass the thoroughly trimmed meat through a coarse mincing plate. If a finer texture is desired in either case, pass ¼ or ½ of the minced meat through the mincer again.
  • Mixing: the ingredients must be very cold, and they should be combined by hand in a large bowl. Wash your hands thoroughly and use a rotary action to begin with, until everything is combined, then gather the mixture and slap it against the side of the bowl. The mixture is bound when it feels fatty, sticky and forms threads between the fingers when they are spread. Mixing may also be done in a KitchenAid or Kenwood mixer using the cake paddle attachment while watching for the same binding characteristics.
  • Filling a terrine: use a spoon to transfer the mixture bit by bit, pressing down as you go to avoid creating air pockets. A gentle knock on the benchtop also helps to compact the contents - a folded tea towel placed on the benchtop is a worthwhile precaution if your terrine dish is earthenware or ceramic. Fill to about ⅞ full.
  • Thermometer: it is advisable to use a meat thermometer to make sure terrines are adequately cooked; any harmful bacteria will be killed when the internal temperature reaches 70°C.
  • Preservatives: remember that no preservatives are used in these recipes other than salt and alcohol, so the keeping qualities are dependent on storage in the coldest part of the fridge and good sealing. The absence of preservatives means that there will still be some oxidation and discolouration on the edges and cut surfaces, but it won’t affect the flavour.
  • Weighting: once a terrine is cooked it is essential to apply some weight to compress the texture, although the weight should not be excessive. A good idea is to cut a piece of polystyrene to fit snugly inside the terrine and then seal the polystyrene in a plastic freezer bag. Place this on top of the cooked terrine and weight with a clean housebrick wrapped in a plastic bag or several 400g cans of food. Leave until the terrine is well cooled before removing the weight and refrigerating the terrine.
  • Sealing and maturation: when the terrine is thoroughly chilled, seal it by pouring a 2cm layer of melted cooled lard on top. Return it to the fridge and, after the lard has set, cover it with a double layer of greaseproof paper and finally a layer of foil. Refrigerate for a day or two before serving to allow the flavours to mingle and mature. Stored in this way, the terrine should keep for 2 weeks.