From the files of Brooklyn Brewery Chef and Head of Culinary Programming Andrew Gerson, we bring you his latest recipe: Vietnamese Whole Pig Terrine.
For our Improved Old Fashioned release party, we roasted two suckling pigs to celebrate our collaboration with WhistlePig Distillery and to create a dish that complemented the nuances of the sophisticated beer. After a wild night of pig, cocktails, good friends, music, and beer, I was left with all the roasted bones, heads, trotters, and delicious parts of these two pigs.
Not wanting to waste anything, I transferred everything to my largest stock pot and got my ramen broth going. After five hours at a slow simmer, I strained this fatty, creamy, luscious stock and got to picking the meat for this Vietnamese-inspired terrine. Instead of waiting for the remnants of your next pig roast, you can substitute trotters and a pork shoulder, or order a pig head or two from your local butcher shop (Hudson & Charles and the Meat Hook will happily oblige you.
Ingredients
for the terrine
3 lbs pork shoulder bone in
2-3 pig trotters
1 pig head
4 qts water
1 charred medium red onion, finely diced
3 inches charred young ginger, diced
1 charred jalapeno, diced
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp red boat fish sauce
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
salt to taste
for salad
2 red onions, quartered
1 bunch watercress
1 tsp olive oil
1 wedge of lime
salt to taste
Equipment needs
Mixing bowl
baking tray
8 qt pot or larger
plastic wrap
tongues
Make It
1. Heat your pot over a high heat and brown your pig on all sides or 6-7 minutes, turning regularly. Cover with water and cook on slow simmer for 5 hours or until liquid has reduced by half. Strain liquid and let meat cool (the stock is perfect to use for ramen or pork broth.)
2.Let meat cool and pick it apart until shredded. Remove all the bones from the trotter and head, keep any bits of collagen from the trotters, and dice the skin that remains. Check again for any bones and set aside.
3. On your stove top place onion, ginger, and jalapeno, and char on all sides over open flame, turning to get even color. Remove from heat and dice.
4. Add all remaining terrine ingredients to meat and mix thoroughly to incorporate. Salt to taste.
5. Cover your sheet tray with plastic wrap and smooth meat out into one layer. Cover and place in refrigerator to sett for 3 hours or overnight.
6. Roast quartered onions in an oven set to 350 for 1 hour.
7. Dress salad with oil, salt, and lime juice.
8. Cut squares of terrine and place salad and onion on top and serve.
Pairing Notes: Improved Old Fashioned
Inspired by the famous cocktail, this barrel-aged rye ale infused with bitters and botanicals is perfect to cut through the fatty richness of this terrine. Hints of cinnamon, coriander, and gentian root play off the Vietnamese aromatics and spice of the young ginger. This boozy beer is the perfect accompaniment to this rich dish.