Country Pâté (Pâté de Campagne)

Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoons allspice 
• 12 ounces bacon finely chopped (8 to 10 slices) (for lining pan)
• 1 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 20 servings sea salt 
• 0.8 cup cognac 
• 20 servings pickled cucumbers / gherkins 
• 20 servings dijon mustard 
• 2.5 teaspoons thyme dried
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 3  garlic clove pressed
• 2.5 pounds ground pork 
• 6 ounce ham steak 
• 1 cup onion minced
• 2.5 teaspoons salt 
• 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 0.3 cup whipping cream 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• loaf pan
• aluminum foil

Directions

1. Set rack at lowest position inoven and preheat to 350°F. Boil
2. Cognac until reduced to 1/2 cup,about 1 1/2 minutes. Cool.
3. Melt butter in heavymedium skillet over mediumheat.
4. Add onion and saut&éuntil soft and translucent butnot brown, about 8 minutes.
5. Combine ground pork andchopped bacon in large bowl.Using fork or fingertips, mixtogether until well blended.
6. Add sautéed onion, garlic,2 1/2 teaspoons salt, thyme,allspice, and pepper to bowlwith pork mixture and stiruntil incorporated.
7. Add eggs,cream, and reduced Cognac.Stir until well blended.
8. Line 9x5x3-inch metalloaf pan with bacon slices,arranging 8 slices acrosswidth of pan and 3 sliceson each short side of panand overlapping pan on allsides. Using hands, lightlyand evenly press half of meatmixture (about 3 1/4 cups) ontobottom of pan atop baconslices. Arrange ham stripsover in single layer. Top withremaining meat mixture.
9. Fold bacon slices over,covering pâté. Cover pantightly with foil.
10. Place panin 13x9x2-inch metal bakingpan and transfer to oven.
11. Pourboiling water into baking panto come halfway up sides ofloaf pan.
12. Bake pâté until athermometer inserted throughfoil into center registers 155°F,about 2 hours 15 minutes.
13. Remove loaf pan frombaking pan and transfer torimmed baking sheet.
14. Placeheavy skillet or 2 to 3 heavycans atop pâté to weigh down.Chill overnight. Do Ahead Canbe made 4 days ahead.
15. Place loaf pan with pâtéin larger pan of hot water forabout 3 minutes. Invert pâtéonto platter; discard fat fromplatter and wipe clean.
16. Cut pâtécrosswise into 1/2-inch slices.
17. * Tiny French pickles; availableat specialty foods stores.