Fat

The classic proportion in forcemeats is equal parts fat and meat. Many forcemeats, however, contain less than 50 percent fat, especially in recent years, as people have become more attentive to nutrition and dietary considerations (see the discussion of the fat content of sausages on). Nevertheless, a certain amount of fat is necessary for both moisture and flavor. A pâté with too little fat tastes dry. Hard fat, such as pork fatback, gives best results. Heavy cream is sometimes used to add fat as well as liquid to a forcemeat.