Head Cheese
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 24
 
Ingredients
Spiced Cider Brine
Headcheese
  • 1 whole pig head, quartered and ears removed
  • 2 pig feet, split in half
  • 2 onions, peeled and quartered
  • ½ head garlic peeled and split in half
  • fresh sage
  • fresh rosemary
  • fresh thyme
  • fresh parsley
  • whole cloves
  • coriander seeds
  • bay leaves
  • peppercorns
Instructions
Spiced Cider Brine
  1. In a large stockpot, add water, spiced cider and celtic sea salt and heat over medium heat until all the salt dissolves. About 15 minutes.
  2. Remove pot from heat and allow to brine to cool to room temperature.
  3. While brine is cooling, prep the head by first removing any remaining bristles by singeing them with a kitchen torch or shaving them with a razor.
  4. Use a kitchen knife to remove pig ears from head and clean out the ear canals (pigs get waxy ears too) using a Q-Tip.
  5. Place the now bristle-free quartered head and ears into brine making sure all parts are completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Head Cheese
  1. Remove brine from refrigerator and pull out pig head and ears. Rinse and pat dry.
  2. Pour out brine and rinse and pat stockpot dry. Return stockpot to stovetop.
  3. Add pig head, ears, feet, onions and garlic to pot and pour enough water over until all parts are covered by about an inch.
  4. Tie all fresh herbs together in a bundle and add to pot.
  5. Add all spices to a large tea ball or muslin bag and add to pot.
  6. Bring water up to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 4-5 hours
  7. Remove head, ears and feet from cooking liquid and set aside to cool for about an hour.
  8. While meat is cooling, reduce cooking liquid over medium heat by two inches. When it's finished reducing, strain cooking liquid with a cheesecloth and set aside. This will be one of the more flavorful bone broths you have ever tasted.
  9. Once cooled, remove any bones from the pig head and feet taking care to remove teeth as well. Peel tough skin off the tongue and discard keeping the meat from the tongue. Everything except the bones, teeth and tongue skin can be saved including the eyes and brain. If you want a less fatty product, feel free to discard some of the skin and fat but not all of it. You will need it to help the headcheese set.
  10. Once separated, roughly chop the meat mixture and place in a large mixing bowl. Add about ⅓ to ½ cup of cooking liquid and a large handful of chopped parsley to meat mixture and stir to combine.
  11. Pour meat mixture into a large baking dish or terrine dish. You may need more than one as this recipe makes quite a bit.
  12. Cover dish and place in refrigerator to allow it to set overnight.
  13. Once set, slice off as much as you like and enjoy cold or crisp up in a skillet over medium heat
Notes
If you can't find spiced apple cider, all you need is regular apple juice with some cider mulling bags to make your own.
Recipe by Pastured Kitchen at https://www.pasturedkitchen.com/recipes/spiced-cider-brined-head-cheese/