A traditional pâté de campagne made with pork and Cognac, sterilized in jars
A thick slice on fresh bread, a few cornichons, a glass of good wine: pâté de campagne tastes like meals that linger at the table. Its rustic texture and rich flavors, lifted by a splash of Cognac, make it an appetizer that works just as well as a main course. Made in jars, it keeps until the day you feel like opening one.
What Is Pâté de Campagne?
It’s a great classic of French cooking: a seasoned mixture of ground pork, cooked in a terrine or, as here, directly in jars. This version combines pork jowl, pork belly and pork liver with onion, garlic, eggs and Cognac.
A Family Recipe Above All
Pâté de campagne was born on French farms, where each family made its own version with whatever meat was on hand. It was a clever way to preserve meat without wasting anything, a bit like veal rillettes.
Every region of France has developed its own recipe, hence the many variations on this kind of charcuterie. In Brittany, some people add seaweed for a briny note. In Alsace, it’s not unusual to find foie gras in it, and in Provence, thyme and rosemary perfume the mixture.
The Main Ingredients in Pâté de Campagne
The meat makes the pâté. Use fresh, good-quality pork: the jowl and belly bring fat and tenderness, while the liver gives it its deep flavor. The onions, garlic and eggs add flavor and bind the mixture.
The salt, pepper and quatre épices are measured per kilo of meat. Stick to these proportions to keep the flavors balanced. The Cognac takes care of the rest.
Technical Tips for a Good Pâté de Campagne
Grind the meat evenly for a pleasant texture.
Don’t skip the resting time in the refrigerator: it gives the flavors time to blend and develop.
For sterilization, follow the recipe’s times and temperatures to the letter. Whether your pâté keeps properly depends on them.
A recipe by Daniel Munoz
Ingredients
- 4 kg pork
- 1.2 kg pork jowl
- 1.8 kg pork belly
- 1 kg pork liver
- 2 onions 300 g for two onions
- 4 garlic cloves 25 g for 4 garlic cloves
- 4 eggs
- 10 cl Cognac
- 64 g coarse sea salt 16 g/kg of meat
- 12 g black pepper 3 g/kg
- 6 g four-spice blend 1.5 g/kg
Instructions
- Grind all the meats and mix them together in a large bowl.
- Add the finely chopped onions and garlic.
- Stir in the beaten eggs.
- Pour the Cognac into the mixture.
- Add the coarse sea salt, black pepper and four-spice blend.
- Mix everything together thoroughly until evenly combined.
- Let rest, vacuum-sealed, in the refrigerator for 15 hours.
Sterilization
- Fill the clean glass jars (rinsed with boiling water beforehand) with the raw mixture.
- Fit the rubber seal or lid on the jars, wipe the rims and close them.
- Place the jars in an electric sterilizer set to 100°C and sterilize for 3 hours.
- Alternatively, the jars can be placed in a Dutch oven filled with water, covered and kept at a boil for the same amount of time.
