A delicious terrine inspired by the Basque country which is located in the south west of France near the Pyrenees. 

This recipe features in our online course, Bistro Charcuterie for Beginners.

This delicious terrine is inspired by the Basque country which is located in the south west of France near the Pyrenees. One of the most famous products in this region is the pâté Basque, a spicy pâté made with local French chili pepper. This is a twist on this traditional pâté recipe which is transformed into a terrine by replacing livers with pork scotch and belly. A touch of sweet and spice is added with black cherry jam and the famous French Espelette chili.

INGREDIENTS

• 250 g (8.8 oz) pork belly (minced)

• 50 g (1.7 oz) pork fat (fatback)

• 250 g (8.8 oz) pork scotch filets (also called pork neck filets) cut into small cubes

• 10 g (0.35 oz) salt

• 1 g (½ tsp) black pepper

• 1 or 2 pinches of spice mix

• 1 egg

• 25 ml (0.85 fl oz) cream

• 25 g (0.9 oz) black cherry jam

• 3 to 5 g (0.10 /0.17  oz) Espelette chili ( don’t put much if you just want a subtle flavor)

Mise en Place

You will need porcelain terrine dish and a meat mincer for this recipe.

Prepare and weigh your ingredients and get all the cookware and utensils ready, including setting up the mincer.

Method

1. Remove the rind from the pork belly and cut it into rough cubes in preparation for mincing. Cut the pork scotch into medium-sized cubes, approximately 2 cm square (0.8 in).

2. Pass the pork belly and pork fat through the mincer and place them in the mixing bowl. Add the salt, pepper, and the spice mix. Mix together on medium speed for up to 3 minutes.

3. Add the egg and the cream, and mix on low speed for a further 2 minutes until the mixture resembles a sticky paste. Then add the pork scotch, jam, and Espelette chili. Mix for an additional 1-2 minutes on low speed until the mixture becomes cohesive.

4. Pour the mixture into the terrine dish and press downwards to fill out into the corners and remove any air bubbles. Clean the edges of the dish with a paper towel.

5. Place the dish under the grill, close to the heating element, until the top of the terrine forms a light brown crust (around 10 minutes).

6. Cook the terrine uncovered in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 45 minutes to an hour. Use a thermometer to monitor cooking and measure the temperature of the core of the terrine after 40 minutes. The terrine is ready when the core temperature reaches 80°C (176°F).

7. Once cooked, cover the dish and leave it to rest at room temperature for 2 hours. Then place it in the fridge and let it rest overnight.

8. You can eat the terrine the next day or keep it for up to 3 days unsliced and covered in the fridge. Ensure you take the terrine out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.