I wish I could remember where-- maybe in Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers? I read that throughout history yarrow has been applied to the top of rillettes because of its antiseptic properties.
Try preserving veggies confit too! Shallots, garlic, herbs and lots of others!
Another charcuterie favorite is the pate, where the fat emulsifies the meat. From what I understand this technique was common in ancient Greece.
Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn, as well as Salumi by the same fellows are a couple of very insightful books on the art of meat curing and preserving which I would highly recommend!
Somewhat related is this blog post (
http://julesfood.blogspot.com/2011/05/asian-style-pig-ear-and-pork-terrine.html) which features a pig ear-pork terrine!
