Head Cheese: A classic dish made with pork head or shoulder and side pork, seasoned with salt, pepper, and cloves, all pressed into a gel-like form.
4 pounds pork from head or shoulder
8 pounds side pork
salt and pepper
ground cloves
Boil pork until extremely tender. Boil the fat and lean in separate kettles. Skim off fat. While meat is still hot, start preparing head cheese.
First spread a large piece of muslin in a shallow pan. Then use the cooked rind of the pork to hold the head cheese by placing the rind side next to the muslin, fitting pieces together to cover the bottom.
On this, place alternate pieces of fat pork and lean pork, seasoning each layer with salt, pepper and ground cloves. Cover top and sides with cooked rind, tie up tightly in muslin.
Reheat in liquid, then remove the "cheese" and press in a flat dish under a weight. Chill at once, keeping weighted until cold.
A thickness of 2 inches when pressed is convenient for slicing. Keep in light brine in a cool place until needed. The meat must not freeze. Change brine occasionally.
Pumpkins aren't just for pies or Halloween decorations. These large, orange gourds - while naturally sweet - also work well in savory dishes. They pair well with poultry and pork (and especially bacon) and their creamy-when-cooked texture blends easily into soups.
It may look like a sad little package shoved in the back of your freezer, but frozen spinach actually has a lot of culinary uses (and some may surprise you).
Beer makes batters better, meat more tender, and sauces more flavorful.
reviews & comments