Game Forcemeat for Pies and Terrines

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Digital kitchen scale accurate to 1 g
• •Meat grinder with 6 mm and 4.5 mm plates, or a 2-liter food processor
• •Two stainless-steel mixing bowls, one large enough to hold ice beneath the other
• •Rimmed metal tray
• •Flexible bowl scraper
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Weigh the game

   Trim the game completely before weighing it. Remove skin, bone, tough silver skin, bruised flesh, and every trace of shot; only the usable meat governs the formula. For 250 g game, weigh 125 g veal, 125 g pork, and 250 g fresh fat bacon. Keep this ratio if scaling the batch, because the arithmetic is the structure of the farce.

   Hare produces a darker, more forceful farce; grouse is finer and slightly sweeter. Use one game throughout the batch so its character remains clear.
2. 2

   Chill every component

   Spread the cubed meats and fat bacon on separate trays and chill them until very firm, about 30 minutes in the freezer. Chill the grinder parts or food processor bowl and blade at the same time. The cubes should be stiff at their edges but not frozen solid. Warm fat smears instead of cutting cleanly, leaving the cooked farce greasy around the edges and dry within.

3. 3

   Grind the meats

   Pass the game, veal, pork, and fat bacon separately through a 6 mm grinder plate, catching everything in a bowl set over ice. Combine them, then pass the mixture once through a 4.5 mm plate for a fine, even farce. If using a food processor, work each component in small batches with short pulses, stopping when it resembles fine, distinct granules rather than a smooth paste. If the fat begins to shine or smear, stop immediately. Ça se rattrape: spread the mixture thinly on a cold tray, chill it for 20 minutes, then continue.

4. 4

   Season and bind

   Combine the ground mixture with the salt, white pepper, and quatre-épices in the chilled bowl. Mix firmly with a cold paddle or gloved hand for 2 to 3 minutes, lifting and folding until the farce becomes tacky, holds together, and clings briefly to your palm. This mixing develops the natural protein bind that lets a slice remain whole. If the bowl loses its chill or liquid fat appears, stop and refrigerate the mixture before continuing; forcing a warm farce only breaks its texture.

5. 5

   Cook a tasting

   Flatten 1 tablespoon (15 ml / about 20 g) of farce into a small patty and cook it gently in a dry skillet until fully done, with no raw center. Let a bite cool for a minute before tasting, because the finished pie or terrine will mute salt and spice when cold. Adjust carefully. If it tastes flat, add salt by the pinch; if it is too assertive, grind a small unseasoned batch in the same 2:1:1:2 ratio and mix it through. Never guess at terrine seasoning when a tasting takes five minutes.

6. 6

   Rest and use

   Press parchment or reusable wrap directly against the surface and refrigerate the farce for 2 hours so the seasoning distributes and the bind settles. Pack it firmly into the prepared pie or terrine, working into the corners and pressing out air pockets. Cook according to the chosen pie or terrine preparation, verifying that the center reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Cool cooked terrines promptly, then chill them under light pressure before slicing. If the farce will not be used immediately, keep it below 40°F (4°C) and use it within 24 hours.

Chef Tips

• •Weigh the game only after trimming. Bone, skin, sinew, damaged flesh, and shot do not count toward the formula; including them in the starting weight leaves the farce short of its supporting meats and fat.
• •Fresh fat bacon means unsmoked, uncured pork fatback, not breakfast bacon. Smoke and cure would dominate grouse and make hare taste merely of bacon. A butcher can usually supply fatback if given a little notice.
• •Keep the rule with the recipe: for every 2 parts cleaned game, use 1 part lean veal, 1 part lean pork, and 2 parts fresh fat bacon. Season the entire mixture at 18 g salt, 2 g white pepper, and 1 g quatre-épices per kilogram.
• •A food processor works well if its bowl is cold and the batches are small. Long continuous processing warms the fat and turns the mixture pasty; short pulses give you control.
• •Serve a finished game pie or terrine with cornichons, mustard, and honest bread. Grouse suits a light red Burgundy or cru Beaujolais; the deeper flavor of hare can carry a firmer red.

Advance Preparation

• •The meats can be trimmed, weighed, cubed, and refrigerated separately up to 12 hours before grinding. Cover them closely and keep them below 40°F (4°C).
• •The finished raw farce can be prepared up to 24 hours before filling the pie or terrine. Press parchment or reusable wrap directly onto its surface and keep it in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
• •A cooked game terrine benefits from 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator before slicing. The texture firms, the seasoning settles, and the game flavor becomes rounder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 94g)