Hog's Head Cheese
Ok, I can stomach a lot - but head cheese just always never sits right with me. Jellied face chunks. Somehow ,I just can't do it. Anyhoo, this is how it's made - sorta takes you back to Lord of the Flies, eh?
PREP TIME: 3 Hours
MAKES: 5 loaves\10 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 hog's head, halved
4 pounds Boston butt
4 pig's feet
3 large onions, quartered
4 stalks of celery, quartered
1 head of garlic, halved
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
black pepper
METHOD:
In a large stock pot, place all ingredients. Cover by 6 inches with cold water
and season to taste using salt and pepper. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat
to simmer and cook until meat is tender and falling from the bones,
approximately 2-2 1/2 hours. Using a ladle, skim the foam that rises to the top
of the pot during the cooking process. Once meat is tender, remove and strain
and reserve poaching liquid. De-bone meat and grind, using the chili blade of
your meat grinder. Set aside.
INGREDIENTS FOR ASSEMBLY:
reserved poaching liquid
4 packages unflavored gelatin, unflavored
cooked ground pork
2 cups minced onions
2 cups minced celery
2 cups minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced garlic
salt
black pepper
Louisiana Gold Pepper Sauce
2 cups sliced green onions
1 cup chopped parsley
METHOD:
Once the poaching liquid has been strained and allowed to sit for one or two
hours, oil will form on top of the stock. Using a ladle, carefully remove all of
the oil from the surface of the poaching liquid and set aside. Dissolve gelatin
in 1 cup of cooled poaching liquid. In a large pot, place the cooked ground
pork, onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cover with reserved poaching
liquid by one-half inch. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and allow
ingredients to cook 25-30 minutes, adding additional stock to retain volume.
Season to taste using salt, pepper and Louisiana Gold. Remove from heat and add
green onions, parsley and dissolved gelatin. Allow to cool slightly. Ladle the
cheese into 4"x 9" loaf pans, cover with clear wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Total Fat: 14gm Calories: 197 Carbohydrates: 3gm
Saturated Fat: 5gm % Calories from Fat: 64 Protein: 15gm
Cholesterol: 52mg Fiber: 1gm Sodium: 293mg
mmmmm, mmmmmmm! If you can't get your hands on a hog's head, just go and pick up
a package of this at the grocery store. Did you realize it was really made out
of a head?