Venison Terrine- Perfect for the Holidays

This is a delicious recipe to showcase your wild game meat to family and friends at the holidays! 

Venison Terrine

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. venison meat, diced into 1 inch pieces
  • ½ lb. duck livers (or chicken or turkey), wild or domestic, diced
  • ½ lb. fatty pork shoulder or 1/3 lb. pork fat back, diced
  • 1/3 cup minced shallot or sweet onion
  • 3 cloves of minced garlic
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh herbs, finely chopped, such as thyme, sage, rosemary
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger or 1 tsp. dry ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. allspice
  • 2 tsp. duck fat or olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. port or brandy or wine
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
  • 1/3 cup chopped pistachios
  • 1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
  • 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
  • 2 eggs

Directions:

  1. Mix together venison, liver, and fatty pork and season with salt and pepper. Put in refrigerator or freezer while assembling the other ingredients.
  2. Gently sauté the shallot, garlic, herbs and spices in the duck fat (or oil) until soft on medium low heat. Do not allow to brown.  Add the port (or brandy or wine) and cook a few minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.
  3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. If available, grind the meat through the small die of a meat grinder and then mix with the cooked onion and spice mixture and then mix for a few moments in a mixer until smooth.  If no grinder, then add meat to cooked onion and spice mixture and pulse in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth.  Mix the eggs with the heavy cream and add to the meat mixture, mix all of this thoroughly. Stir in the cranberries, pistachios and orange zest.  
  4. Press the mixture firmly into a ceramic terrine mold. If you do not have a terrine dish, press firmly into a loaf tin.  You can lightly grease the pan with a bit of duck fat or oil.  Set the meat pan into a larger roasting pan.  Add water to the larger roasting pan to come about half way up the side of the terrine pan.  Bake the meat until it reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit and is firm to the touch (check after 1 hour and then every ten minutes or so)
  5. Remove from the oven and if possible, weight the top of the terrine down with even weight while it cools. When cooled (do not exceed 2 hours at room temperature), remove terrine from the pan, wrap and chill until ready to serve. Can stay in the refrigerator for up to one week.

This is a festive appetizer for the holidays or other special occasions.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

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