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Hog Head Cheese aka Brawn (Souse is made with Vinegar) Recipe

Ingredients

How to make it

  • This formed the basis of my pork stock and I was off! I brought the stock up to a boil, then reduced to a simmer. I cooked it for 3 hours.
  • Step 2: Collect the pork and strain the stock
  • This was the most disgusting part, but it goes fast and don’t for one second think about what you are doing.
  • OK. Roll up your sleeves! Collect a large bowl for bones and scraps and a smaller bowl for meat. Find a large tray or baking sheet to work on. If you have a large slotted spoon or an Asian Spider Strainer grab one of those too. Now might be a good time to wear thin plastic kitchen gloves, although I didn’t have any around.
  • Fish out the head (it may have fallen apart with the slow cooking) and place it on your tray. (It helped to have the snout pointing away from me.) Basically, pull off the skin and get rid of it. Next, pull every single bit of meat off of the bones and place it in your ‘keep’ bowl. No need to dig around in the skull; we’re not using the brains. Or eyeballs. Shudder.
  • Cover the meat with a little stock, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate. I got about 4 cups of pork.
  • Once you’ve collected all the bones from the pot, it is time to strain the stock. Pour it through a fine sieve and into a large bowl or bucket. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate so that the fat can rise and congeal.
  • Step 3: Build the head cheese
  • Skim the fat off of the stock and bring it to a boil in a large pot. Reduce it by about half, then season it with salt. Be sure to taste it and adjust the salt accordingly. Cool slightly.
  • Line a loaf pan (or your mold of choice) with plastic wrap. Finely chop a few tablespoons of parsley. Shred the pork into strips and lay it in the loaf pans. Pour a little stock over the top and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
  • Repeat until all the meat is used up. Top with a little more stock, then place in the refrigerator to set. Chill overnight, minimum.
  • You will have leftover pork stock. Freeze it for soups or braising. Or reduce it to make homemade bouillon (recipe coming later this week).
  • To serve: unmold the head cheese. Slice with a very sharp knife. Serve with bread, mustard and pickles.
  • Thanks for reading! I

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  • twill10 8 years ago
    Haggis is a savory pudding containing sheep's pluck; minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, traditionally encased in the animal's stomach though now often
    in an artificial casing instead. According to the 2001 English edition of the Larousse Gastronomique: "Although its description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savory flavor".
    Was this review helpful? Yes Flag

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twill10 Cape Girardeau, MO

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