HM NOTES: Charcuterie

Forcemeats
A preparation made from uncooked ground meats, poultry, fish or shellfish that is seasoned and then emulsified with fats
Used as the primary ingredient to make pâtés, terrines, galantines and sausages
Textures vary from smooth and velvety to well-textured and course

Fat Emulsification
To ensure proper emulsification of a forcemeat:
The ratio of fat to other ingredients must be precise
Temperatures must be maintained below 41°F (5°C)
The ingredients must be mixed properly

Forcemeat Ingredients
Meats
Dominant meat is what gives the forcemeat its name and essential flavor
Fats
Add moisture and richness
Binders
Panada
Crustless white bread soaked in milk
Eggs
Seasonings
Salt, curing salt, marinades and various herbs and spices
Garnishes
Meat, fats, vegetables or other foods added in limited quantities to provide contrasting flavors, textures and colors

Special Seasonings
Curing salt
Mixture of salt and sodium nitrite
Controls spoilage and bacteria growth
Preserves the pink color of the meat
Pâté spice
A mixture of spices and herbs that can be premixed and used as needed

Equipment Needed

Food grinder
Food processor
Drum sieve
Standard meat grinder
With various-sized grinding dies

Preparing Forcemeats
Preparations include potentially hazardous foods
Temperature controls must be strictly maintained
All food contact surfaces and cutting boards must be sanitized
To ensure proper emulsification, forcemeats must be kept below 41°F
Grinder and food processor parts should be chilled or frozen
All foods must be cut into small sizes to fit into the grinder
Do not overstuff grinders or food processors

Three Common Forcemeat Preparations
1.Country-style
Simplest to prepare
Heavily seasoned
2.Basic
Smoother and more refined
Probably the most versatile of all
3.Mousseline
Light, airy and delicately flavored
4.Quenelles
Small, dumpling-shaped portions of mousseline

Using Forcemeats
Terrines
Baked in an earthenware mold
Pâtés or pâtés en croûte
Fine savory meat filling wrapped and baked in a crust
Galantines
Forcemeats wrapped in the skin of the animal and poached, served cold
Ballotines
Forcemeats wrapped in the skin of chicken thighs and served hot

Types of Terrines
Liver terrines
Foie gras terrines
Vegetable terrines
Brawns or aspic terrines
Mousse
Rillettes
Confits

Procedure for Preparing Terrines:
1 Lining a mold with thin slices of fatback.

2 Filling the terrine with the forcemeat and garnish.

3 Placing the herb-decorated terrine in a water bath.

4 Slicing the finished terrine.

Procedure for Preparing Galantines
1 Butterflying the breasts and tenderloins and placing a thin layer of meat over the skin.

2 Arranging the forcemeat and garnishes in a cylindrical shape across the center of the skin.

3 Using plastic wrap to roll the galantine into the tight cylinder.

4 Securing the galantine with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

5 Slicing the finished product.

Sausages
Forcemeat stuffed into casings
Fresh sausages
Fresh ingredients that have not been smoked or cured
Smoked and cooked sausages
Made with a raw meat products that have been treated with chemicals, usually the preservative sodium nitrite
Dried or hard sausages
Made of cured meat and then air-dried under controlled conditions
May or may not be smoked or cooked

Sausage Components
Sausage meats
Forcemeats with particular characteristics
Sausage casings
Natural casings
Portions of hog, sheep or cattle intestines
Collagen casings
Manufactured from collagen extracted from cattle hide

Procedure for Casing Sausage
1 Sliding the casing over the nozzle of the sausage stuffer.

2 Knotting and piercing the casing with a skewer.

3 Supporting and guiding the casing off the end of the nozzle as the sausage is extruded from the machine into the casing.

4 Twisting the sausage into uniform links.

Smoking
Cold smoking
The process of exposing salt cured or brined foods to smoke at a temperature of 50°F to 85°F
Hot Smoking
The process of exposing foods to smoke at a temperature of 200°F to 250°F
After hot smoking, most foods are fully cooked

Salt Curing, Brining
Salt curing
Process of surrounding the food with salt or a mixture of salt, sugar, nitrite-based curing salts, herbs and spices
Brining
Soaking or injecting foods with a very salty marinade

Salt Curing Gravlax
1 Coating the salmon fillet with the salt cure.

2 Wrapping the fillets in plastic wrap.

3 Weighting down a pan placed on top of the wrapped fish.

4 Slicing the cured gravlax thinly.

Glazing Pâté in Aspic Jelly
1 Cool the clarified aspic jelly by slowly stirring it over an ice bath.

2 Brush or spoon the aspic jelly over slices of chilled pâté arranged on a cooling rack. Repeat the process until the coating reaches the desired thickness.