346 Chapter 19
p â t é s, followed by duck liver p â t é s. Both
products, liver p â t é and p â t é de foie gras, are
high in calories, saturated fats, cholesterol,
and sodium.Liver P â t é
Processing
The main ingredient in liver p â t é is chopped
liver, which must be cleaned and freed from
any connective tissue residue. Meat ingredi-
ents (viscera and lean meat) are fi rst coarsely
ground or chopped, and then cooked at
approximately 80 ° C. Fat (45% – 50% total
formulation), previously scalded at around
65 ° C, is then added. Alternatively, fat substi-
tutes are included in the formulation, as will
be explained later. The meat block is then
homogenized, adding hot broth, though this
operation is done in order to obtain the
desired texture (Totosaus and P é rez - Chabela
2005 ). In some cases, nonmeat proteins, such
as skim - milk powder or soy protein concen-
trates, are included in the formulation to
stabilize the emulsion. Once this paste is
homogenized, the homogenized liver is
added, followed by spices, herbs, and other
additives, such as almonds and truffl es.
Homogenization in the chopper forms an
emulsion, where the main emulsifying agents
are the liver proteins. However, in commer-
cial operations, other emulsifi ers are added in
order to stabilize the product, as well as
plasticizers such as sorbitol and glycerol
to improve spreadability. The batter is then
stuffed into casings or canned. As it is a
semifl uid material, it is important to avoid
trapping bubbles during stuffi ng or canning,
since air reduces heat transference, resulting
in an underprocessed food; air can also
promote lipid and pigment oxidation, reduc-
ing the fi nal product quality. Time -
temperature relationship depends on casing
or can diameter, in addition to processing
parameters. In small casings (50 mm diame-
ter), heating must be at 70 ° to 74 ° C for 41 toobtained has no pathology but is merely an
organ with excessive fat content. Unlike
other p â t é , in p â t é de foie gras fabrication,
the liver is not mixed with meat or any other
ingredients; it is only heat treated to obtain a
product fulfi lling sanitary regulations. French
law requires that at least 80% of p â t é de foie
gras must be liver; this makes the product
very expensive. There are three commercial
types of p â t é de foie gras: frais (fresh), mi - cut
(semicooked), and bloc (restructured block).
Mousse or pur é e de foie gras, a cheaper
version, contains 55% liver.
An even cheaper product, or one for
people not agreeing with animal force -
feeding, is the chopped liver p â t é made of
other animals ’ livers. P â t é is French for
“ pie ” ; it is traditionally served baked in a
crust (cro û te) or molded as a terrine. The
terms p â t é and terrine are often used inter-
changeably. Originally, the crust was
intended to hold the p â t é together, not to be
eaten. Terrines are not surrounded by a crust
but laced in a mold and cooked in a water
bath. Terrines are made of different compo-
nents and have various structures; they can
include meat chunks, such as terrine de cam-
pagne, or have the structure of a pur é e
such as terrine de foie de volaille (poultry
liver).
The basic ingredients of p â t é may vary,
but they are in general made from the liver
of beef, pork, poultry, and duck; or from
seafood, wild game, and even vegetables.
However, liver and other viscera are usually
included as part of the main ingredients. In
addition, a number of other components are
necessary for p â t é fabrication, such as herbs,
spices, milk, and starches. A smooth and
creamy texture is obtained after grinding all
the ingredients, although in some cases, a
chunky product is desired. Although this type
of products is generally called “ p â t é , ” the
correct name is “ paste ” or “ liver paste, ” pre-
ceded by the name of the animal used for its
fabrication (i.e., chicken liver p â t é ). The
most commonly merchandised are pork liver