Crustless Lamb Pate

My Recipe:

16 oz. ground lamb
1 lb veal fat
2 onions chopped fine - about 1 cup
2/3rds cup heavy red wine allowed to vinegar (I use a cabernet or merlot)
1/4 cup beef broth
Spices: ginger, black pepper, long pepper = 1 1/2 T. + 1/2 T nutmeg (you may choose to add more if you like your pate spicy versus spiced)
Salt to taste

Mix well. Place in covered ceramic pate container (approx. 1 qt) and place on top of stove. On low to medium heat, let cook. Some of the fat will melt and surface. Remove excess. Let simmer until done - about 1 -1 1/2 hours.

Chill well. Serve with bread (or crackers).

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Documentation

The Original:.Paste en pot de mouton. Prenez de la cuisse, et gresse ou mouelle de beuf ou de veel hache menu et oignons menus hachies, et faictes boulir et cuire en un pot bien couvert a bien petit de boulon de char ou autre eaue, puis mettez boulir dedans espices, et un petit de vinaigre pour aiguiser, et dreciez en un plat. Le Managier de Paris, p. 148

Translation: Mutton pie cooked in a pot. Take some leg meat, and beef or veal fat or marrow, finely chopped, and finely chopped onions; bring it to the boil and cook in a tightly covered pot, with a very little meat broth or other liquid; then cook it with spices and a little vinegar to sharpen it, and serve on a platter.

The Recipe: The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy by Odile Redon, Francoise Sabban, & Silvano Serventi:

11 ounces boneless lamb from the leg or shoulder, trimmed of connective tissue and gristle
7 ounces hard textured veal fat
2 medium small onions (about 4 oz.)
3 T. good quality wine vinegar
2 T. water or meat broth
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 t. freshly grated nutmeg
salt

Grind lamb and fat with medium blade of meat grinder. Finely chop the onions. In a large bowl, mix the meat, the fat, and the onions. Add salt and mix. Place mixture in earthenware pate mold fitted with a lid. Stir in the water or broth. Set the mold on a flame-tamer over very low heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and spices, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.

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