Pork Forcemeat for Divers Uses

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Food processor with metal blade, at least 8-cup (1.9-liter) capacity
• •Digital kitchen scale
• •Rimmed metal tray
• •Small skillet for the cooked seasoning test
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the working kit

   Put the food processor bowl, metal blade, and a rimmed metal tray in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Set the pork and belly in the freezer for about 15 minutes, just until firm at the edges but not frozen. Cold is the principle that decides this farce: it keeps the fat dispersed through the lean meat instead of smearing onto the blade.

   The meat should feel firm and dry, never rigid. Frozen cubes bounce around the blade instead of forming a cohesive paste.
2. 2

   Trim and measure

   Remove every strip of silverskin and visible tendon from the pork fillet, then cut the pork and fresh fat bacon into even 1-inch cubes. Beat one egg until uniform and measure out half, preferably 25 g on a scale. Return the cubed meats to the cold if trimming has softened their edges.

3. 3

   Season and chop

   Toss the pork and belly thoroughly with the Spiced Salt (No. 188), then transfer them to the chilled processor. Pulse in one-second bursts until the cubes become an even coarse mince, stopping once to scrape the bowl. Keep the lean and fat together so every spoonful retains the source formula's equal proportion.

   Spiced Salt (No. 188) is a finished preparation from its own entry. Reach for it ready-made and dry; don't rebuild its spice mixture inside this formula.
4. 4

   Pound and bind

   Continue processing in short bursts until the mince becomes fine, tacky, and cohesive, the home equivalent of pounding it in a mortar. Add the beaten half egg and brandy, then pulse only until they disappear into the paste and the farce gathers around the blade. If the surface becomes oily or the fat begins coating the bowl, stop immediately. Spread the farce one inch thick on the chilled tray, refrigerate it for 10 minutes, and finish with two or three brief pulses. Ça se rattrape. Cold restores the bind; crumbs or extra egg only change the formula.

   The finished farce should lift as one supple scoop and leave the processor bowl nearly clean. A loose, glossy paste is too warm.
5. 5

   Test the seasoning

   Fry a teaspoon of farce in a dry skillet over medium heat until browned and completely cooked, about 2 minutes per side. Taste it only after cooking. The seasoning should be firm because pies and terrines mute salt when served cool; if it tastes flat, work in one small pinch of Spiced Salt (No. 188). If it is too salty, the honest correction is equal additional weights of unseasoned pork and belly, not bread or cream.

6. 6

   Pack chill and cook

   Press parchment or food wrap directly against the surface and refrigerate the farce until needed. Pack it firmly into pies and terrines to remove air pockets, or use it to stuff a joint that will be braised, leaving enough room to close the meat securely. Keep the farce at or below 40°F (4°C) before cooking, then cook the center of the finished preparation to at least 160°F (71°C). The egg slows the loss of fat, but gentle cooking must finish the work.

Chef Tips

• •Fresh fat bacon does not mean smoked breakfast bacon. Ask for unsmoked, uncured fatty pork belly with the skin removed; cured bacon brings extra salt and smoke, upsetting both the seasoning and the clean brandy scent.
• •Pork tenderloin supplies the deliberately lean half of the formula. Don't replace it with already fatty mince, because the equal weight of belly is calculated to provide all the fat the farce needs.
• •For pies, terrines, and braised stuffed joints, keep the egg. Its binding work prevents the grease from escaping too quickly. For loose sausage-meat cooked directly in a pan, the source makes a clear distinction: the egg may be omitted.
• •Without a processor, pass the chilled meats twice through a fine meat-grinder plate, then beat them firmly with the Spiced Salt (No. 188), egg, and brandy until the mixture turns tacky. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.

Advance Preparation

• •The pork and belly may be trimmed, cubed, and refrigerated separately up to 8 hours ahead. Chill the processor bowl and blade shortly before mixing.
• •The finished raw farce may be prepared up to 24 hours ahead. Press food wrap against its surface and keep it at or below 40°F (4°C).
• •For longer storage, seal the farce airtight and freeze it for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator; if a little liquid separates, chill the mixture well and work it briefly until cohesive again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 125g)