Black Pig Terrine

Method:

Smokey Bacon

– Toast the fennel and peppercorns in a frying pan until golden then grind to a powder with a mortar & pestle.

– Combine the ground, toasted spices with the sugar and salt. Rub the dry cure mixture all over the pork belly, wrap in cling film and store in the fridge.

– After five days, unwrap the pork, rinse thoroughly and leave to dry in the fridge overnight then hang for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Optional – Nick then Cold smokes the bacon for ten hours in a Bradley smoker over hickory wood.

Brine

– Bring all the ingredients to the boil and allow to cool. If you double the recipe quantities you can use the brine to preserve beef brisket, silver side, tongue or belly pork.

Terrine

– Start by soaking the pork belly, duck livers and pork fat in brine for 24 hours.

– Leave to dry in a colander for a couple of hours then mince on the largest setting; there is no need to season your mix once the meat has been brined!

– Preheat the oven to 110°C [gas mark 1/4] line a large terrine with foil then the smokey bacon (prepared earlier), leaving enough overhanging to wrap and cover the top.

– Melt the butter with the oil in a frying pan and gently sweat the onions with the garlic, sage, thyme, allspice & juniper until soft. Meanwhile, reduce the Port, Brandy & Madeira together in a pan until they are reduced by about two thirds. Leave both to one side to cool.

– Once cooled, combined both with the minced meat. At this stage you can check the seasoning of your terrine by frying a small rissole of the mixture.

– Once you are happy with the seasoning, fill the bacon-lined terrine with the pork mixture and compact as much as possible, give the tin a good whack on a solid surface to disperse any trapped air, then fold over the bacon, then the foil.

– Place the terrine on a roasting dish and put in the preheated oven. Add boiling water to the roasting dish (halfway up the terrine dish) – i.e. bain-marie

– Bake for around 80 minutes. The centre of the terrine needs to reach 70°C.

– Once cooked and cooled, store the terrine in the fridge for three days before use to give the flavours a chance to develop.