forcemeat

Forcemeat is a meat-based paste used as a filling or binding in a range of charcuterie and cooked dishes. It comprises finely ground meat, fat, and often binding agents and liquids. The term derives from the French viande forcée, literally “forced meat,” reflecting the practice of forcing ground meat through a sieve or grinder to create a smooth paste suitable for stuffing casings or shaping.

Typical ingredients include pork or veal, or combinations with poultry or game, plus fat and binding agents such as bread crumbs, eggs, cream, or milk. Cold ingredients and low temperatures are essential to prevent fat separation and to maintain a cohesive emulsion. The mixture is beaten or churned to emulsify fats with meat proteins and can be made in stages, producing light, medium, or heavy textures by adjusting grind size and fat content.

Textural categories range from very fine, light forcemeat—used for mousses and delicate pâtés—to medium forcemeat common in sausages and terrines, and heavy forcemeat with a coarser texture and higher fat content suitable for boudins and croquettes.

Uses include pâtés, terrines, mousses, sausages, and stuffed fish or vegetables. Popular preparations include pâté de foie gras, pâté en croûte, boudin blanc, and various croquettes. Forcemeat is often formed by stuffing into natural or artificial casings or molded into loaves or terrines before cooking, smoking, or chilling.

Safety and history: Forcemeat has deep roots in European charcuterie and classical French cooking. Keeping the mixture cold and cooking or properly curing it is essential to minimize spoilage and ensure safe consumption.