Pork, Pistachio, and Apricot Terrine

Spice grinder

Large mixing bowl

Meat grinder

Food processor

1 ½-quart/1.5-liter terrine mold and roasting pan

1.

Prepare the spice mix: Add ingredients to a spice grinder and grind into a powder. Set aside for this recipe. Store the extra mix in an airtight container, up to two months.

2.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork shoulder, pork belly, salt, pepper, and two teaspoons of spice mix. Cover and refrigerate.

3.

Heat the fat of your choice in a sauté pan. Sauté the shallots until translucent, about three minutes. Add garlic and heat for one minute. Add the Madeira, bring to a boil, and reduce until a syrup consistency, about two tablespoons. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

4.

Grind the seasoned pork through a ¼-inch/6-millimeter die into a chilled metal bowl. Grind the meat a second time through a ⅛-inch/3-millimeter die into a chilled metal bowl. Refrigerate to keep the mixture below 45ºF/7ºC.

5.

In a food processor, add egg whites, heavy cream, and Madeira reduction. Blend until smooth. Add the ground pork and process until smooth. Transfer to a chilled metal bowl. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and fry in a saucepan to taste. Adjust any seasoning now. Fold in the pistachios and dried apricots.

6.

Line a 1 ½-quart/1.5-liter terrine mold with cling wrap and fill with the pâté. Fold the cling wrap over the top. Cover with the lid or aluminum foil.

7.

Heat the oven to 300ºF. In a roasting pan large enough to hold the terrine mold, place the filled mold in the center. Fill the roasting pan with warm water until it comes ¾ of the way up the sides of the mold. Cook in the water bath till the center of the terrine registers 145ºF/63ºC, about 45 minutes. Remove the terrine from the water bath and let cool. Refrigerate until chilled, unmold, slice, and serve.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

18 ounces/510 grams pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
12 ounces/340 grams skinless pork belly, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon/15 grams kosher salt
1 tablespoon/15 grams freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons pâté spice mix, see below
1 tablespoon clarified butter, lard, or neutral oil
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons garlic, microplaned
1 cup/240 milliliters Madeira
2 large egg whites
½ cup/120 milliliters chilled heavy whipping cream
1 cup/240 grams shelled pistachios
1 cup/240 grams diced, dried apricot

Pâté spice mix:

1 teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
2 bay leaves, ground
¼ teaspoon ground thyme
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Cook's Notes

Occasionally, I like to pair wines with a snack rather than an entire course. I have been playing with making croquetas and croquettes, the former hailing from sun-soaked España, the latter being the serious French cousin, sometimes with the whiff of pretense.

I love them both: today, I’ll share my version of croquetas.

To make the béchamel, I use olive oil instead of butter and swap out nutmeg and clove, favoring paprika and cayenne.

These lightly breaded fritters are fried and served snack-like. They are a popular tapa in Spain and work well with the acidity and sunny disposition of our Rosé.