Matthew’s first kitchen experience was at Vetri restaurant in his hometown of Philadelphia. In 2005, he moved to New York City and worked under some of the city’s best young chefs, first at Oceana with Cornelius Gallagher followed by two years at Cru under Shea Gallante. Matt then spent time at Daniel, where he was part of the team that earned both four stars from the New York Times, and 3 Michelin stars. Before joining Ssäm Bar, Matthew completed a stage at the Fat Duck restaurant in England. In 2015, Matt was featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. Matthew was then appointed Executive Chef of Momofuku Má Peche in 2015.

Pig Head Terrine by Matthew Rudofker

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 split pig head from Fossil Farms New Jersey Berkshire pigs
2 onions, large diced
2 carrots, large diced
1 head celery, large diced
1 two-in piece ginger, sliced
1 head garlic, split in half
2 cups shaoxing cooking wine
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 bunch thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup salt
2 cups cilantro
2 cups thai basil
water as needed
additional salt and ground pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a pot large enough to fit the pig head, caramelize the onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat. Once lightly browned, add the ginger and garlic. Deglaze the pot with the Shaoxing cooking wine. Wrap the black peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves, and salt in cheese cloth, and add into the pot. Next, place the pig head in the pan face down. Add enough water to fill the pot 4/5 of the way up. Cover the pot, and place it in the oven for 5-6 hours, or until tender.

Once tender, remove the pot from the oven and strain. Reserve the cooking liquid for another use such as for a rich soup. Remove the pig head and let it cool so that you can handle the meat while wearing gloves.

Start by peeling the tongue and cutting to a medium dice. Next, cut the ears, cheeks, skin, and fat, and medium dice all. Combine the cut meat in a large bowl, and season with additional salt and ground black pepper to taste. Dice the cilantro and thai basil, and add to the bowl. Mix gently until everything is evenly distributed.

Line a terrine mold with plastic wrap with enough excess to cover the top. Place the mixture into the mold, and wrap the top with the excess plastic wrap. Put a small weight on top of the mix (a bag of rice, perhaps), and keep in a refrigerator overnight to chill.

Once chilled, the terrine can be sliced and served warm or cold. Additionally, it can also be breaded and fried before serving.