In my mom’s saigon kitchen, the food processor, a modern luxury appliance, was reserved for making giò, while the old-fashioned hand-crank meat grinder was used for delicious liver pâtés like this one. We regularly enjoyed it, tucked into bánh mì or simply smeared on a baguette slice. In the traditional Viet interpretation of French paté, pork or beef liver, pork meat, and fatback are seasoned with lots of garlic and sometimes Cognac and Chinese five-spice powder (a substitute for French quatre épices). Some cooks add tapioca starch or flour as a binder, and, when available, they line the mold with caul fat for encasing the meat mixture. The paté is then steamed, steamed and baked, or baked in a water bath, the method usually depending on whether or not the cook has an oven. When my mother came to the States and switched from pork to chicken for making giò, she began saving the left over livers for this light, elegant pâté. She also started making the pâté in a food processor. If you want a more intense liver flavor, use half pork and half chicken liver, or make an all-pork version, cutting the liver into 1-inch cubes before processing. Don’t skimp on fat, or the results will be dry and tough. Meat today tends to be lean, and this recipe needs the fat to achieve the right taste and texture. You will end up with a large pâté—the better to impress others with your efforts.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 3-pound loaf

　　1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

　　5 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

　　1/2 pound pork fatback, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

　　1 pound chicken livers, yellowish membranes trimmed

　　2/3 pound ground pork, coarsely chopped to loosen

　　1/3 pound ground beef, preferably chuck, coarsely chopped to loosen

　　2 eggs

　　3 tablespoons Cognac

　　3/4 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground

　　1 tablespoon salt

　　3/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

　　Butter for greasing pan and parchment paper

　　2 or 3 bay leaves

　　

Step 1

Put the onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse to mince. Transfer to a large bowl and add the pork fatback, chicken livers, ground pork and beef, eggs, Cognac, pepper, salt, and five-spice powder. Mix well with a rubber spatula.

　　

Step 2

Working in batches, grind the ingredients in the food processor to a fine, smooth, light tan mixture, transferring each batch to another bowl as it is ready. Each batch will take a few minutes, and you will have to pause occasionally to scrape down the sides. When all the ingredients have been ground, beat them with the spatula to blend well. If you want to check the seasoning, sauté a spoonful in a little skillet until it is well done, let cool, taste, and then correct if necessary.

　　

Step 3

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Bring a kettle of water to a boil and lower the heat to keep it hot.

　　

Step 4

Butter a 6-cup loaf pan. Pour in the pâté mixture and smooth the top with the spatula. Bang the pan on the countertop or table to remove air bubbles. Center the bay leaves on top of the paté. Butter a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the top of the pâté and place it, buttered side down, over the paté. Then cover the pâté with aluminum foil, allowing a 1-inch overhang. Place the loaf pan in a baking or roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the pan to come 1 inch up the sides of the loaf pan. Bake the paté for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, or until the internal temperature registers about 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.

　　

Step 5

Remove the baking pan from the oven and set the paté aside to cool for 1 hour. Place a twin pan (or board) and a 5-pound weight, such as a brick or a few food cans, directly on top of the paté; this compacts it and creates a smooth texture. When the paté is completely cool, remove the weight. Refrigerate it and let it mature for 1 or 2 days.

　　

Step 6

To serve, unmold the cold pâté, removing and discarding the foil and parchment paper. Cut the pâté into thin slices or a thick slab. Blot away the juices with paper towels and then lay the slices or slab on a serving plate. Let the paté come to room temperature before serving. You can include it in a Western-style charcuterie spread, or use it in your next Vietnamese baguette sandwich. The paté keeps well in the refrigerator for 10 days. I advise against freezing it, however, as it turns soggy.

　　

FINDING FATBACK

Step 7

Pork fatback is an old-fashioned cooking fat that can be difficult to find. Your best bet is to go to a market that caters to a porkloving clientele, such as an Asian or Mexican market. The fatback may not be in the meat case, but just ask the butcher for it. At my local Mexican market, the butcher is always tickled by my request for grasa (fat). He proudly emerges from the cooler with a thick piece with the cuero (skin) still attached.

　　

Step 8

To ensure that I have a supply if fatback on hand, I buy a pound or two. I set aside the portion I am using immediately and then I divide the remaining fat into pieces the size of a deck of playing cards (about two ounces), wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze them all in a zip-top plastic bag. Fatback will keep in the freezer for up to nine months. Before using or freezing fatback, remove any skin, if necessary. A little meat attached is fine.

　　Reprinted with permission from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors by Andrea Nguyen. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright © 2006.  Photographs by Leigh Beisch. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.