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It is possible to make this recipe using imperial measures, but I strongly recommend using metric, as it makes figuring out how much seasoning mix to use very simple. This recipe will make more seasoning mix than you need for one batch. I recommend La Belle Farms foie gras, which is available online from Bella Bella Gourmet.
Let foie gras rest at room temperature for about 45 minutes before starting to clean. Split foie into two separate lobes with your hands. Working one lobe at a time, using a paring knife or small offset spatula and a pair of tweezers, carefully remove all the veins from the center of the liver, following the instructions in this slideshow. Discard veins and repeat with remaining half. Return foie gras to the refrigerator.
Combine salt, sugar, curing salt, and pepper in a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder.
Lay a triple layer of plastic wrap, 12 by 18-inches on a cutting board. Remove foie gras from refrigerator and transfer to plastic wrap, exterior membrane-side down. Carefully butterfly with your fingertips, spreading the foie gras out and pushing it into shape with your hands until it forms a rough 9- by 9-inch square of even thickness.
Place half of weighed spice mixture in a fine mesh strainer and sprinkle evenly over top surface of foie gras. Sprinkle with half of cognac. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on top and carefully flip. Peel of plastic wrap from what is now the top, and sprinkle with remaining spice mixture and cognac. Flip back over and remove top piece of plastic wrap to expose surface again.
Slide foie with plastic on top of a bamboo sushi rolling mat, adjusting it so the bottom edge of the foie is flush with the bottom of the mat. Fold the trailing plastic wrap underneath. Carefully start rolling foie, using bamboo mat to keep it nice and tight until a complete cylinder is formed. Pull back tightly on bamboo to tighten cylinder.
Lay out a quadruple layer of cheesecloth about 16 inches wide by 2 feet long. Roll foie gras off of plastic onto the cheesecloth a few inches from the bottom edges. Carefully roll foie in cheesecloth, pulling back as you go to keep it very tight and even.
Twist ends of cheesecloth and secure one side with a short piece of twine. Secure other side with a 3-foot piece of twine. Twist twine around end of cheesecloth to tighten the roll, making the torchon shorter and shorter with each twist. Tighten until you see foie fat starting to leak out around the edges of the torchon and it has the consistency of a bike tire. Tie off cheesecloth