Forcemeat lecture

1. FORCEMEATS
An emulsification of meat and fat

2. Forcemeats
• Processed by progressive grinding, sieving, or
pureeing
• Pâtés, terrines, sausage, quenelles, roulades,
galantines, farces
• Consistency from smooth to coarse
– A well made forcemeat will hold together when
cooked and sliced
– It will have a pleasant taste and mouth feel

3. Assembly of the Grinder Head

4. Grinding Procedure

5. Proper Grinding procedure
• Chill all meat and grinder parts
• Set up grinder
• Pass meat through grinder (meat should be
extrude easily)
• Rechill meat and grinder
• Grind second time
– Note: if meat is not passing through grinder easily,
check that grinder parts are assembled correctly

6. Making Forcemeats
• Watch temperature and
sanitation
• Test forcemeat for
flavor, texture, and
emulsification

7. Straight Method
• A basic method using pork, pork fat, and a
dominant meat in equal parts.
• Progressively ground and emulsified for
refined texture.
– Sometimes egg and/or cream are added for
binding, texture, and richness
– Pâtés , terrines, galantines, sausages

8. Straight Method

9. Country-style Method
• Coarse in texture with pork, pork fat, often
pork liver, and garnish
• Coarseness requires additional of a binder
(panada)
– Heartier flavor and highly seasoned
– Pâtés, farce

10. Country-style Method
Coarse ground meat
Garnishes
*Mix garnishes with ground meat

11. Gratin Method
• Portion of the dominant
meat is cooked before
processing
• Panada is usually
required
– Browning enhances
flavor and color
– Liver pâtés

12. Mousseline Method
• Lean white meats (veal, poultry), fish, and
shellfish
• Cream (fat) and eggs (whites) give light
texture and ultra fine consistency
– Small dice or ground, puree, and pass through a
tamis/sieve to ensure smoothness
– Quenelles, terrines seafood sausage, timbale,
farce

13. Mousseline Method

14. 5/4/3 Method
• 5 parts meat, 4 parts fat, and 3 parts ice
• Perfectly smooth paste; ice creates a very
strong emulsion
– Binders; non-fat dry milk, sodium caseinate, and
phosphates
– Frankfurters, bologna, knockwurst

15. 5/4/3 Method

16. FORCEMEAT INGREDIENTS
Meat - Locomotion muscles for
flavor, tender muscles for garnish

17. Meat ingredients
• Pork – most commonly used in
charcuterie. Has neutral flavor and high
water retention. Low in cost.
• Beef – bull meat is desirable for color and
binding power. Moderately expensive.
• Veal – very delicate flavor. Very
expensive.

18. Meat ingredients
• Poultry – mild flavor, naturally softer, and
lighter texture. Relatively inexpensive.
• Game – wild = strong flavor; farmed =
milder flavor. Very expensive.
• Fish and shellfish – wide range of flavors
and textures. Generally expensive.

19. Fat
Adds flavor, mouth feel, texture, and
moisture.

20. Fat ingredients
• Pork – fatback and jowl fat have relatively
pure and natural flavor.
• Lamb – strong flavor and density make it less
desirable.
• Beef – too dense with high melting point and
semi-strong flavor.
• Poultry – very soft and low melting point
makes for a difficult emulsification.

21. Binders - eggs or egg whites, liaison, non-fat dry
milk powder, or panadas.
Assist in forming a good emulsification.

22. Panadas
• Adds to structure and texture. No more
than 20% of total volume.
Bread – crust less white bread and milk.
Flour – pate au choux or heavy béchamel
with egg yolk.
Rice or potato – well cooked.

23. Salt, Curing Salts, & Flavorings
• Salt – binder (exposure of myosin), enhances
water retention, enhances flavor.
– Osmosis: transfer of cure to the interior of the
product.
– Dehydration: removes water to reduce microbial
growth.
– Fermentation: controls enzymatic breakdown of
proteins creating organic acid.
– Denaturing proteins: changes characteristics of
proteins.

24. Tinted Cure Mix & Prague Powder
• Tinted cure mix – 6% sodium nitrite, 94% salt:
inhibits possible botulism.
– TCM, Prague powder 1, Instacure 1
• Prague powder 2 – sodium nitrite and nitrate
with salt and pink coloring; for dry-fermented
products like salami.
– Instacure 2, fermento

25. Other ingredients
• Spices – quatre-epices
(pepper, nutmeg,
cinnamon, & clove),
pâté spices, etc…
• Spirits – wine, brandy,
cognac, etc…
• Garnishes – often
added after forcemeat
is processed.
– Random.
– Inlay.