Position oven rack to lowest position and preheat to 350°F. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent browning, about 6 minutes. Add the brandy and bring to a boil until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Mince the garlic cloves; then use the side of the blade as a press to form a paste. Combine the garlic paste, liver, ground pork, and chopped bacon in a large bowl. Mix until well blended with your hands or a spoon. Add the onion (with reduced brandy), salt, thyme, allspice, pistachios, and pepper and mix again until incorporated. Add the eggs and cream and mix until blended well.
Line 5 miniature or a large (10x5x3-inch) metal loaf pan(s) with bacon slices, slightly overlapping on all sides and overhanging by about 1-inch. Fill the prepared loaf pan(s) with the meat mixture to the top and wrap the overhanging bacon to cover pâté. Cover tightly with foil and set inside of a larger baking pan and transfer to the oven door. Pour very hot water into the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the loaf pan(s). Bake on the lowest rack until a thermometer inserted through the thickest part reads 155°F, about 1 hour for small loaves or up to 2 hours for a large loaf.
Carefully remove the loaf pan(s). Press pate as it cools and chills overnight for best results by weighing down with a heavy object. Refrigerate overnight.
To remove, place loaf pan(s) in a larger pan with hot water for a few minutes. Remove foil and invert onto a carving board. Cut crosswise into ½-inch slices. Remove the outside layer of bacon fat, if desired. Serve cold or room temperature.
Notes
Ingredient Tip: I recommend using Cognac, which is a special type of brandy made from distilled white wine in Western France.Technical Tip: To weigh down pate, you can use canned beans or a heavy skillet. Just be sure to disperse the weight along the pate evenly. I like to set the pate inside of a baking dish in the fridge to prevent messes.