making rivet's head cheese

[rivet]

Jim, you've got to give that mustard a shot. Unbelievably good on the pastrami sammie and love to dip Funyons in it too (the fake onion rings from the potato-chips aisle).

Hey nice to know they got a canned (?) frozen (?) line of foods out. They have a restaurant in Richmond, VA called..... well, Bookbinders, in an old former-tobacco warehouse downtown and the food is pretty darn good! I guess that was the second restaurant they opened.....forget where the original one is.

 

[polishmeat]

That looks outstanding! Headcheese or salceson as us Poles call it, is a tasty delight. There's also a chicken only version of this you can make, but will need the natural gelatin from the hocks, head portions, etc.

Nice work! Gotta have the vinegar to go along with it!

Rivet - where the heck is my mustard in that shot! jk - looks good man.

 

[rivet]

Hey Polish, you might not believe this but it is all gone- I ate the heck out of it with everything and discovered how good Funyons were dipped in mustard. The jars didn't last long, and the only one I have left is the horseradish one (chrzanowa) that I am saving.... this one, it has a special place until my next 'strami!

 

[petewoody]

While reading the thread, I commented to my wife that the final result looked like something my Mother made when I was young and growing up in Australia. She said it looked like Brawn which her Mother made.
I dug up an old cookbook put out by a ladies' group in Australia (Country Women's Association) and, sure enough,there were several recipes for Brawn. In those days most Australian cooking was based on English recipes and,to be kind, it was kind of stodgy. I guess there was a commonality among people of all nations who made do with what was available. The cookbook, as I recall, was intended as a guide for newly marrieds.
One recipe involved a sheep's head, another a pig's head,feet and a shin of beef, a third one Ox cheek, another rabbit and bacon and my favorite (and truly Australian) Kangaroo tail and pig's head. Mace seems to be the common spice.
If anyone is interested, I could provide the recipes.

 

[rivet]

You're absolutely right on the "brawn" bud! I was surprised myself when I learned that this is a dish from all countries including, Scotland, Britain, Germany, Denmark etcetera..... Be glad to see the recipes!

 

[tasunkawitko]

agreed, mate! recipes requested!

 

[newb]

Oh man that looks great. I have not had any 'head' cheese in a long time and this thread got me wanting to make some more. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water up.

I used to make it quick and dirty...boil ham hocks 6-8 of em for hours with some pick spice. seperate meat from junk
grind meat and set aside

Add a packet of gelatin to strained boiling water and cool.
Add vinegar to taste.

dump ground piggy into pan(s) and ladel some vinegar infused gelatin broth over meat.

when all completed gently stir every so often to suspend meat into vinegar jello....sometime I was too late and couldn't but oh well.

YUM YUM YUM...Thank you for reminding me about this great treat! and pickeled pigs feet...another tasty treat...

 

[melleram]

My family still butchers hogs the "old way" and we make head cheese or as well call it "Presskopf". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_cheese We actually clean the stomach from the pig, boil it, and then stuff it with the ground and chunked meat (no gelitin) and boil that in a kettle over a wood fire.

We have done this every year for decades. WE also make "panhas", or what some people call scrapple. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapple And Liver sausage which is best described as a combination of Presskopf and Panhas. We boil the heads, pick out all the meat and add organs etc accordingly.

Its a pretty neat/disgusting process. We clean our own guts (casings) too, which basically means squeasing the crap (literally) out of them then washing and boiling them to streralize, then we stuff them with sausage. WE do use "everything but the squeal"