Grand Canyon Layered Meats (Print)

Visually striking layered meats with a creamy blue cheese and herb mousse running through the middle.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 10.5 oz beef sirloin, thinly sliced
02 - 8.8 oz turkey breast, thinly sliced
03 - 7 oz smoked ham, thinly sliced
04 - 7 oz pork loin, thinly sliced

→ Blue Cheese River

05 - 5.3 oz blue cheese, crumbled
06 - 3.5 oz cream cheese, softened
07 - 2 tbsp heavy cream
08 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
09 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
10 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Binding Layer

11 - 4 large eggs
12 - 1/2 cup whole milk
13 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
14 - 1/2 tsp salt
15 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

→ Garnishes (optional)

16 - Microgreens
17 - Edible flowers
18 - Toasted walnut pieces

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 320°F. Line a standard loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing an overhang for folding.
02 - Whisk together eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
03 - Blend blue cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream, chives, parsley, and black pepper until smooth. Set aside.
04 - Arrange slices of beef along one side of the loaf pan with slight overlap, then layer turkey, smoked ham, and pork loin alternately in a descending slope to mimic canyon walls.
05 - After every two to three meat layers, gently brush some binding mixture over the meats to secure layers.
06 - At mid-point height in the pan, spoon a thick layer of the blue cheese mixture down the center, then continue layering meats around and over it, maintaining the slope pattern.
07 - Finish with a top layer of meat. Fold plastic wrap over the top to seal. Cover with foil and place loaf pan in a larger roasting dish. Pour hot water halfway up the pan sides (bain-marie).
08 - Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
09 - Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow setting.
10 - Unmold onto a serving tray and slice thickly to showcase layered meats and blue cheese river. Garnish with microgreens, edible flowers, and toasted walnuts if desired.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It's a showstopper that makes you look like a classically trained chef, even if you're figuring it out as you go.
  • The flavors are unexpectedly sophisticated—savory, funky, creamy all at once—and completely worth the effort.
  • Every slice reveals something different, turning dinner into an experience rather than just a meal.
02 -
  • The binding mixture is fragile; brush it on lightly and sparingly or it will cook too fast and leave gaps between your layers.
  • Never skip the bain-marie—it's the difference between a terrine and a dense, weeping brick of disappointment.
  • The chilling time is non-negotiable; this is when the gelatin from the meats and the structure from the eggs actually sets into something that will hold its shape.
03 -
  • If your meats aren't cold enough before you start, they'll tear and fray as you layer them; give them at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before you begin.
  • The egg binding mixture is better applied with a soft pastry brush or even clean fingers; you want just enough to glue without creating pools that will become rubbery.
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