Head Cheese

[Aaron Kizer]

I am new to the boards and just bought a WSM last week. A chicken, a pork butt, and a turkey have fallen victim to it's amazing smoke abilities.

I also made head cheese a couple of weeks back for the first time. It seems like it fits this section of the board, so I thought I would share.

Take a pigs head and simmer it with aromatics for a couple of hours. Take the head out and let it sit until you can take the meat and skin off of the skull. Throw the skin out and save the meat. Then return the skull to a raging boil for the next 14-16 hours. Do not add extra water. The water will evaporate down to a fraction of what you started with. Test the gelatin content of your broth by putting a little spoonful onto a small plate and put it in the fridge. If it gels it is ready, if not boil it longer. Once you have a broth that gels take it out and let it cool until you can skim the fat off of the top. (this can also be done before you put the skull back in the broth.) Line a baking dish with cellophane. Break your meat up and lie it in the pan. Take the pig ears and cut them into strips adding them here and there in the meat. Take your broth and add salt to taste, and vinegar to taste. Pour it over the meat and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours. Enjoy!

 

[Geir Widar]

Looks delicious!
I've done the same several times to make a traditional Norwegian lunch meat called "sylte".
I see you are wise enough to cook outdoors. It's a great idea, as the smell if a cooked pig's head can be quite intense, to put it mildly.

 

[JimH TX]

How do you eat it and what does it taste like?

 

[j biesinger]

looks good! this is on my bucket list.

 

[Gary H. NJ]

Nice job Aaron. I'll take a slice please.

 

[Len Dennis]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JimH:
How do you eat it and what does it taste like? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just slice it and enjoy. I usually only get it already sliced/store bought (no stores around here sell heads for home use).

You don't want to warm it up though as the jelly will melt and you'll end up with chunks of meat with no jelly.

 

[Aaron Kizer]

Thanks everyone! It was my first try at making it myself.

The heads can usually be special ordered. I get mine through an Asian Butcher.

Slice and eat like Len said. It can be ate with crackers and cheese. I also add vinegar to mine, that is a very common German way to eat it. In fact some German butchers add vinegar directly to the broth, like I did. If you want to try it for the first time make sure that you go to an authentic butcher. The stuff that big companies like "Boars Head" make does not taste right.

I also like to melt mine and add vinegar. It eats like a sticky stew at that point.

What does it taste like? That is a hard question to answer. With vinegar it takes on a sweet sour taste, somewhat like adobo. Without, it is similar to a lot of mild German cold cuts. I bet that does not help, best way is to find an authentic butcher who makes it from scratch. I know of one in Florida, and one in Portland. If you want specifics PM me.

I have also noticed distinct difference in German Head Cheese versus eastern European Head Cheese. They are both fantastic, but the eastern European that I tried had more pepper in it. They also have a sweet paprika version I will pick up next time.