Sausage Making (25 page)

1.   
   1.
   Sift the flour onto your work surface and make a well in the center. Put the cubed butter and salt in the well. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal.
   
2.   
   2.
   Sprinkle the water over the flour-and-fat mixture and shape the dough into a ball. Knead briefly until the dough holds together, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
   

YIELD: ONE 3-LB/1.4-KG TERRINE

Cooked pig's head, trotter, and shank meat
(see page 55)
, bones removed, and roughly chopped into bite-size pieces

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 0.50 lb
  
• GRAMS: 271
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 19.94
  

Boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2.00 lb
  
• GRAMS: 776
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 57.00
  

Pistachios, toasted

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 61
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 4.45
  

Water

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 105
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 7.70
  

White wine

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 12
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.90
  

Fine sea salt

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 10
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.75
  

Finely chopped charred green onions

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₃
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 18
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 1.35
  

Red pepper flakes

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tsp
  
• GRAMS: 2
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.15
  

Coarsely ground black pepper

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 4
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.30
  

Finely chopped fresh parsley

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 12
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.90
  

Cure No. 1
(see page 15)

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 1
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.11
  

Dried prunes, chopped

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 88
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 6.45
  

Caul fat or thinly sliced pork back fat for lining the terrine mold, about 0.50 lb/227 g

Like headcheese, this terrine relies on the collagen-rich meat from a cooked pig's head, trotters, and shank, combined with pork shoulder. Because these cuts are already very flavorful, I season the terrine simply. This recipe includes charred green onions. Char them on a gas or charcoal grill or cook them in a cast-iron pan until soft and blackened in spots.

1.   
   1.
   Place the pork shoulder, head, trotter, and shank meat on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer to the freezer, and chill until crunchy on the exterior but not frozen solid
   (see page 23)
   .
   
2.   
   2.
   In a small bowl add the pistachios, water, wine, salt, green onions, red pepper flakes, black pepper, parsley, Cure No. 1, and prunes and mix well to combine.
   
3.   
   3.
   Nest a large mixing bowl in a bowl filled with ice. Grind the pork meat into the bowl set in ice
   (see page 24)
   .
   
4.   
   4.
   Add the pistachio mixture to the ground pork and stir with your hands until well incorporated; the mixture will look homogenous and will begin sticking to the bowl
   (see page 25)
   .
   
5.   
   5.
   Spoon 2 tbsp of the meat mixture into a nonstick frying pan and spread into a thin patty. Cook the test patty over low heat until cooked through but not browned. Taste the sausage for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
   
6.   
   6.
   Press a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the meat to prevent oxidation, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can vacuum-seal the farce.
   
7.   
   7.
   Line a 3-lb-/1.4-kg-capacity and 12-by-3-by-3
   ¹
   /
   ₄
   -in/30.5-by-7.5-by-8-cm terrine mold with plastic wrap, leaving ample overhang on each side (this will make it easier to lift the finished terrine out of the mold.) Line the mold with some of the caul fat or back fat.
   
8.   
   8.
   Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C. Spoon the farce into the prepared mold, packing it in tightly and smoothing the top. Gently bang the bottom of the terrine mold on your work surface to eliminate air bubbles in the farce. Place the remaining caul fat or back fat on the surface of the terrine, then wrap the overhanging plastic wrap over the top of the terrine.
   
9.   
   9.
   Transfer the terrine to a water bath and cook for 2 hours, until the internal temperature registers 145°F/63°C. As the terrine cooks, prepare an ice-water bath. Remove the water bath from the oven, then carefully remove the terrine from the water bath, pour off any excess fat that has accumulated on the surface, and transfer the terrine to the ice-water bath. Let cool to room temperature, replenishing the ice as necessary, then remove from the ice-water bath. Weight the surface of the terrine (a brick wrapped in foil works well for this purpose) and transfer to the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
   
10. 10.
    When you're ready to serve the terrine, use the plastic wrap to gently lift the terrine from the mold. Carefully unwrap and discard the plastic wrap, then cut the terrine into thin slices and serve cool or at room temperature.
    

YIELD: APPROXIMATELY 25 LB/11 KG

Bacon, thickly sliced

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1.00 lb
  
• GRAMS: 437
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 3.21
  

Pig's Head Terrine farce, raw
(see page 152)

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 3.00 lb
  
• GRAMS: 1,380
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 9.41
  

Whole suckling pig

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 24.00 lb
  
• GRAMS: 11,254
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 76.63
  

Fine sea salt

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 58
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.42
  

Coarsely ground black pepper

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 19
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.14
  

Red pepper flakes

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 29
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.21
  

Brown sugar

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 58
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.42
  

Coriander

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 19
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.14
  

Lao Sausage, raw
(see page 78)

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 3.00 lb
  
• GRAMS: 1,380
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 9.41
  

Olive oil for drizzling

Admittedly, not everyone is going to be up for the challenge of cooking an entire suckling pig. But for those who are, this is a show-stopping way to prepare it. The pig is first deboned, then stuffed with both Lao Sausage and the Pig's Head Terrine, before being rolled like a porchetta and roasted until the skin is as crispy as a potato chip. A slice of the finished ballotine will have a swath of pork meat, some of the sausage and terrine, and a piece of crunchy skin. Heaven.

1.   
   1.
   Position a 14-in-/35.5-cm-long rectangle of plastic wrap on your work surface with a long side facing you. Arrange the sliced bacon crosswise on top of the plastic wrap, arranging the slices so that they are touching but not overlapping.
   
2.   
   2.
   Form the pig's head farce into a cylinder, about 3 in/7.5 cm in diameter by 24 in/61 cm long, and position it, centered, on top of the bacon, with the long side facing you
   (A)
   . Using the plastic wrap as a guide, tightly roll into a bacon-wrapped cylinder
   (B, C)
   . Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to form a tight, even cylinder
   (D)
   . Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and place in the freezer until very cold but not frozen through, about 1 hour.
   
3.   
   3.
   Lay the pig back-side down on your work surface. With the tip of your boning knife, make an incision along each rib, making sure not to cut through the belly meat
   (E)
   . Cut through the cartilage of the ribs and the breast bone
   (F)
   . Start to peel the belly from the ribs
   (G, H)
   . Repeat on the other side
   (I)
   . Keeping one side of your knife on the bone at all times, continue to remove all the meat from the bones, taking care not to cut through the skin
   (J, K, L, M)
   . Once the skeleton has been removed from the meat, chop through the neck bone with a hatchet (or cleaver and mallet) to fully remove the whole skeleton while keeping the head attached
   (N, O)
   . With the cleaver, cut through the end of the spine to remove the tail end and hind legs
   (P)
   .
   
4.   
   4.
   Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C. Lay the deboned pig, skin-side down, on your work surface with the long side facing you. In a small bowl, add the salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and coriander and stir to combine. Sprinkle the mixture all over the flesh side of the pig
   (Q)
   .
   
5.   
   5.
   Using an offset spatula, spread the Lao sausage on the seasoned flesh side of the pig, spreading it into an even layer about 1 in/2.5 cm thick. Remove the terrine from the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap from the bacon-wrapped terrine. Place the farce on top of the layer of Lao sausage, centering it
   (R)
   . Lift the side of the pig closest to you up and over the terrine, then begin rolling it away from you, as tightly as you are able, until you have a compact cylinder enclosing the terrine. Tightly tie the cylinder with butcher's twine at 2-in/5-cm intervals
   (S, T, U, V)
   .
   
6.   
   6.
   Transfer the pig to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the skin with olive oil, and season with salt
   (W, X)
   . Transfer to the oven and cook for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 275°F/135°C and continue cooking until the skin is deeply browned and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the pig registers 145°F/63°C, about 1
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   hours longer.
   
7.   
   7.
   Carefully remove the pan from the oven (a good deal of fat will have collected in the rimmed baking pan, which you don't want to spill) and let rest for 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1-in/2.5-cm slices. Serve warm.