How to make head cheese without head meat

Head cheese was originally made from pork head meat, pork loin fat, tongue, and pork skins. Unfortunately, this attractive little name has stuck with the product. In other countries, the word head is not part of the name, so a customer is more likely to buy it. Even in the US there were different types of head cheese, each with its own distinguished name, for example: souse, sulz, or even scrapple from Pennsylvania.

What most people don’t know is the fact that pork head meat is one of the tastiest cuts available. When a pig is slaughtered, almost nothing is thrown away, and the pork head meat somehow ended up as the main ingredient in making head cheese. Pork cheeks have a similar structure to bacon, although they are a bit tougher as they contain more collagen. This collagen helps produce gelatin that will turn into gelatin. Another cut that helps produce a lot of jelly is pork hocks.

The head, brawn or souse cheese is not a cheese, but a jellied meat that may or may not be stuffed into a large diameter casing. People who live in big cities can no longer buy pig’s heads. But … we can make a great tasting product using different and easier to get cuts of meat, like the pork picnic and the legs (pig’s feet). You don’t need a pig’s head to make a modern version of head cheese. Well now there is no need to call the product by its old name and the name “meat jelly” sounds more appropriate.

Many of us have made head cheese before without even realizing it. Every time we cook soup with beef, pork or chicken bones, we are making a weak version of a head cheese. Even fish heads, bones and fins will produce a jelly if little water is used. The reason why our soup does not turn into a meat jelly is because it contains too much water. It is well known that a good soup is always based on bones. A top restaurant continually cooks bones with vegetables in a huge pot to create a good broth that will become the basis for different famous soups. Then if you add tomatoes you will get Madrileno Consommé, if you add mushrooms you will get another type and so on.

If you want to create a premium meat (UK name for a head cheese), don’t think about making a sausage, think in terms of cooking a hearty soup that contains meat with bones and very little water. This is it, nothing more is needed. You don’t need a recipe, just cook your meat broth as you like best and your head cheese will be perfect. If too much water was used, the resulting liquid may not thicken or set. In such a case, a commercially produced gelatin can be added. It is available in all supermarkets. When fruits are added, it turns into fruit jelly that everyone likes for dessert.

When a commercial gelatin is mixed with water, a very clean gelatin is produced. Lean chunks of meat, poultry, or even fish can be dipped into it and some fancy works of art can be created. This is how you make a fruit jelly and the kids love it. Sliced ​​carrots, chives, bell peppers, cucumbers, whole peppers, olives, sliced ​​hard-boiled eggs and other items can be used as decoration. The resulting product will look pretty and taste great.

Head cheese is served cold, often with vinegar or lemon juice, so it’s no wonder that little vinegar is added directly to the head cheese during its manufacture and the product name changes to souse.