The Delectable Pig Terrine: A Meat And Fat Delicacy

Pig terrine is a dish that uses various parts of a pig's head, including the cheeks, skin, ears, and collagen. It is often referred to as brawn or head cheese and is considered a rustic dish in British cuisine. Preparing a pig terrine involves cooking the pig's head, removing the meat, and setting it in a mould with spices and seasonings. The dish can be served in different ways, such as with mustard, pickles, or in a banh mi sandwich. It is known for its creamy texture and rich flavour.

Pig's head terrine recipe

A pig's head terrine is not a recipe for the faint of heart. You will need to buy a pig's head from a good butcher and carve it into pieces to fit in a large pot. The recipe is simple but time-consuming, so it is best to give yourself a day and a half to make this.

Ingredients:

• 1 pig's head, brined and split
• Mirepoix of veg (2 large onions, 4 large carrots and 2 ribs celery, finely chopped)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 head garlic, smashed
• 2 large carrots, diced fine
• 1 large onion, diced fine
• A handful of chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to season

Method:

Place the pig's head in a large pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Add the mirepoix, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and garlic, then simmer for around 3-4 hours until the meat is falling off the bone. Take the meat off the head and sweat down the carrots and the onion. Then, add the meat, freshly diced shallot and parsley, season to taste and mix. Press into a loaf tin, wrap in cling film and refrigerate overnight. Serve on toast with pickles.

For a more complex recipe, you could try making a pressed pig's head terrine with homemade mustard and pickles. This recipe includes extra ingredients such as russet apple, cornichons, and cider vinegar, and involves additional steps such as making mustard and crackling.

How to serve pig's head terrine

A pig's head terrine is a rustic dish that requires time and effort to prepare. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to serve a pig's head terrine:

Preparation:

Firstly, source a pig's head from your local butcher, specifying that you require it for a terrine. You will need a very large pot—at least 10 litres for half a head and 20 litres for a whole head. Even with half a head, you will need to carve the head into pieces to fit it into the pan.

Cooking the Meat:

Place the pig's head in the pot with the rest of your chosen ingredients. Cover with water and add your desired herbs and spices. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for around 4 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone.

Preparing the Meat:

Once cooked, remove the head from the pot and allow it to cool slightly. Then, pick all the meat, skin, and fat from the head and place it into a large bowl. For a traditional terrine, you will need small pieces of meat, which should fall apart quite easily.

Making the Terrine Mix:

For the terrine mix, you can add various ingredients such as chopped garlic, shallots, thyme, oil for frying, and seasoning. Fry the shallots and garlic in oil on low heat until soft, then allow them to cool. Add these to the bowl with the meat, along with your chosen herbs and seasoning, and stir through.

Setting the Terrine:

Line a terrine dish with cling film and fill it with the meat mixture, ensuring it is well compacted. Place it in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight to allow it to set.

Serving Suggestions:

Pig's head terrine can be served in a variety of ways. It can be a challenging and impressive dish to serve to guests, and it pairs well with various accompaniments. Here are some suggestions:

• Serve on toasted bread with fig and plum chutney, as suggested by Kitchen Exile.
• Accompany with potato bread and Guernsey butter, as recommended by Great British Chefs.
• For a more complex dish, serve with parsnip 'four ways', as suggested by Great British Chef Paul Foster. This includes parsnip purée, raw parsnip, parsnip toffee, and parsnip crisps, along with pear and watercress.
• For a true nose-to-tail experience, serve the terrine with crackling made from the pig's skin, as suggested by Emily Watkins of the Kingham Plough in Oxfordshire.
• For a unique twist, create a banh mi sandwich with thin slices of the terrine, some pork pate, pickled carrots, and jalapenos on a crunchy baguette.

Pig's head terrine is a versatile dish that can be served in a variety of ways, and it provides an opportunity to utilise all parts of the pig, minimising waste.

What is pig ear terrine?

Terrine is a rustic dish that involves shredding and jellifying meat, usually served in a loaf pan. It is a challenging recipe that requires time and effort to prepare. One type of meat used for terrine is pig's head, which is considered an offal or nose-to-tail dish. It involves cooking the pig's head, picking the meat off the skull, and mixing it with various ingredients before moulding and refrigerating it.

Pig ear terrine is a type of terrine that uses pig ears as the primary ingredient. Preparing the pig ears involves cleaning and boiling them with spices until tender. The ears are then stacked and pressed into a terrine mould, similar to a classic French preparation method. The resulting terrine is sliced thinly and served cold, often with a dipping sauce or as part of a charcuterie platter.

The texture of the pig ear terrine is unique due to the combination of crunchy cartilage and gelatinous meat. The flavour is described as sweet and rich, resembling pork. This dish is commonly found in European and Asian cuisines, with frying being the most popular cooking method. However, boiling, braising, and roasting are also used.

Preparing pig ear terrine can be time-consuming, but the end result is a delicious and adventurous dish that offers a unique culinary experience. It is a creative way to utilise all parts of the pig, showcasing the versatility of pork in the culinary world.

By serving pig ear terrine, you'll not only be treating your taste buds but also embracing a global culinary trend that celebrates the use of every part of the animal.

Using different parts of a pig's head

A pig's head terrine is not for the faint of heart. It requires carving up a pig's head and rooting around in skull cavities for meat. But the recipe itself is simple, if time-consuming.

The pig's head is braised or simmered for several hours, until the meat is falling off the bone. It is then removed from the pan and left to cool slightly before being picked over to remove all the meat, skin and fat.

There are several different cuts of meat on a pig's head. There are the obvious and much-loved pig's cheeks, which are both lean and moist. There's also a hefty section of flesh near the brain at the base of the skull. Large pockets of meat similar in texture to cheeks can be found underneath the eye sockets. Scattered throughout the head are smaller, moist slivers of meat. If you're looking for skin, the pig's head has it in abundance. The snout, ears and entire head are covered with skin.

The meat is then mixed with various herbs and seasonings and pressed into a terrine dish or mould. It is then left to set in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

The resulting terrine can be sliced and served in a variety of ways, often with some type of mustard and/or pickles.

How to make a pig and fig terrine

A pig and fig terrine is a country-style pork terrine with dried figs, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, wrapped in caul fat. It is a sweet and savoury dish that can be served as an appetizer, a main course, or as part of a larger meal.

Ingredients:

• Pork
• Pork liver
• Pork back fat
• Pork caul fat
• Dried figs
• Eggs
• Pork heart
• Bacon (pork belly, sea salt, brown sugar, cane sugar, maple syrup, vegetable powder [celery juice, sea salt])
• Sea salt
• Milk powder
• Port
• Vegetable powder (celery juice, sea salt)
• Cane sugar
• Spices (black pepper, garlic, mustard, white pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, coriander)
• Fresh figs (optional)
• Bread (optional)
• Crackers (optional)
• Spicy honey (optional)
• Seasonal vegetables (optional)
• Salad (optional)
• Selection of cheeses (optional)

Method:

• Place all the pork, pork liver, pork back fat, pork caul fat, eggs, pork heart, and bacon in a large bowl and mix until well combined.
• Add in the dried figs, sea salt, milk powder, port, vegetable powder, cane sugar, and spices. Mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• Line a terrine dish with cling film and fill it with the meat mixture, ensuring it is well compacted.
• Place the dish in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight to allow it to set.
• To serve, turn out the terrine onto a plate or board. If desired, garnish with fresh figs, and serve with bread, crackers, spicy honey, or any of the suggested accompaniments.

Note: For a more complex flavour, you can marinate the ground meats in spices and port wine before mixing with the other ingredients. Additionally, you can serve the terrine with a side of caramelized onions in red wine, as seen in some traditional French recipes.

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