Standards of Quality for Forcemeats

Appears in
Professional Cooking
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

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  1. The main flavor of the forcemeat should be that of the main ingredient. In other words, duck forcemeat should taste like duck, game forcemeat should taste like game, and so on. Additional seasonings and flavorings should enhance the main ingredient, not cover it up or add inappropriate tastes.
  2. The texture of the forcemeat should be appropriate to the finished product. For example, forcemeat for country-style terrines should have a coarse texture, while forcemeat for galantines should be smooth. The forcemeat should contain no fragments of bone, cartilage, or connective tissue.
  3. The cooked forcemeat should slice easily, and the slices should hold their shape. Forcemeats with a crumbly texture or those that break easily when sliced were incorrectly made.
  4. Added garnish should be attractive, correctly cut, and well distributed in the forcemeat. Colors from garnish should not bleed into the forcemeat. Garnish flavors should complement the flavor of the main meat ingredient.
  5. The color of the sliced forcemeat should be appropriate to the main meat ingredient, with no gray or discolored areas.