Best Busy Day Pate Recipes

BUSY DAY PATE

Steps:

• Cup the braunschweiger into chunks and place it in the bottom of a microwave-safe bowl. Heat it on HIGH for 45 seconds. Stir it around a bit, and if it's still cold, heat it on HIGH for another 10 to 15 seconds, or until it's soft enough to be mashed with a fork.
• Mash up the braunschweiger and add the horseradish sauce. Mix until it's blended.
• Transfer the warm pate to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours before serving.
• A half hour before you're ready to serve, take the pate out of the refrigerator and let it warm to spreading consistency.
• Serve with a basket of assorted fancy crackers.

RUSTIC FRENCH PORK AND CHICKEN PâTé

Steps:

• Make sure the meat is quite cold, then cut it in 1-inch strips. Grind .75 of the pork shoulder and chicken, plus half the pancetta, to a medium grind. (Or have your butcher do the grinding for you.)
• Grind the remaining pork, chicken and pancetta to a coarse grind, or cut by hand with a sharp knife into small cubes about 1/8 inch.
• Combine all the meat in a large bowl. Add the salt, garlic, sage and thyme. Pour the wine and Cognac over it, then knead seasonings into the mixture with a wooden spoon, your hands or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
• In a spice mill or mortar, grind the peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cloves to a fine powder. Add to the mixture, along with nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne. Mix again.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat the seasoned pate; mixture into a 2.5-quart loaf pan. Press the bay leaf on the surface, then cover the pan tightly with foil. (Refrigerate overnight if desired; bring to room temperature before baking.) Place in a deep-sided roasting pan and add hot water to reach half way up the dish. Bake on the middle shelf for about an hour, or until the internal temperature of the pate is 160 degrees.
• Carefully remove from the oven and cool in the loaf pan, then wrap well and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Keeps a week or more.

PATE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix braunschweiger liver sausage, cream cheese, onion, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Form into a ball shape. Wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

BEEF PATE

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and vegetable shortening together in a bowl using your hands or a pastry blender. Add up to 1 cup water, a little at a time, until dough pulls away from the bowl. Let dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight (see Cook's Note).
• For the filling: Meanwhile, add pickle juice, if using, to a 6-quart pot on medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, using a wooden spoon or spatula to crumble ground beef until fine. As meat is browning, add parsley, green onions, tomatoes, garlic, onions, hot pepper, sweet pepper, bell pepper, thyme, salt and black pepper. Cook until all meat is brown, approximately 5 minutes.
• Remove meat mixture to a colander to drain excess oil. Let sit approximately 5 minutes.
• Return pot to medium heat. Add tomato paste and 1/4 cup water. Stir to thin tomato paste. Add drained meat mixture back to the pot. Mix in tomato paste mixture. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool until meat is room temperature.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees F in a 6-quart cast-iron Dutch oven.
• Cut a 2 1/2-inch piece of dough from the rested dough. Flatten into an approximate 3 1/2-inch disc using your fingers. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to 1/8- to 3/16-inch-thick by 7 inches in diameter.
• Fill the dough with 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup filling. Fold over and press with a 6-inch bowl or empanada press to seal the edges. Dust off excess flour, and gently place in the hot oil. Wait for pate to rise to the top of the oil, then flip it over. Let cook for about 1 minute, then flip again.
• Continue cooking and flipping every minute until the pate is golden brown on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel on a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.