I watched Julie & Julia and thought what a fun and delicious thing to do.

So,

Pates and Terrines (Pates et Terrines)

The memory of a good French pate can haunt you for years. Fortunately they are easy to make, and you can even develop your own special pate maison. Do not expect a top-notch mixture to be inexpensive, however, for it will contain ground pork, pork fat, and usually veal, as well as cognac, port, or Madeira, spices, strips or cubes of other meats, game or liver, and often truffles. It the mixture is cooked and served cold in its baking dish it is called either a terrine or a pate. If it is molded in a pastry crust, it is a pate en croute. A boned chicken, turkey, or duck filled with the same type of mixture is a galantine. Pates and terrines will keep for about 10 days under refrigeration; they are fine to have on hand for cold impromptu meals, since all you need to serve with them are a salad and French bread.

Wine to serve with pates include the dry whites such as Chablis or Macon, roses, or one ff the light regional wines such as Beaujolais or Chinon, or a good domestic wine of the same general types.

A Note on Pork Fat

Fresh pork fat is an essential ingredient for the type of meat mixture which goes into a pate. Blended with the meats, it prevents them from being dry and gives them a lighter texture. Cut into thin sheets, bordes de lard, it is used to line the inside of a baking dish. The best is fat back - lard gras. This comes from the back of the pig next to the skin. It is firm and does not disintegrate as easily as fat from other parts of the animal. Fresh fat back is unfortunately difficult fo find in America outside of areas catering to special clienteles. Alternatives are fat salt pork simmered for 10 minutes in water to refreshen it and remove the salt, or fat trimmed from fresh ham, or from around a fresh pork loin. Thick strips of fat bacon, simmered for 10 minutes in water to remove the smoky taste, may be used to line a baking dish.

Recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Berthalle and Simone Beck.