What do you say when your buddy says, “Hey, I’ve got a pig head, what should we make?” Well, guanciale was the first thing that came to mind, but the cheeks and jowls from this little pig won’t yield enough to make two chefs happy. Then there is tete presee, but I don’t really hanker for the generally chewy and gelatinous creation that comes with that preparation.
One thing I do really like is headcheese, I know there are very few of us out there that like it, but when made right (as my buddy did, with very little help from me) with only the natural gelatin to bind the loaf together, it can be heavenly. Think about it, pork cheeks, pork jowls, and pork fat bound together by super-rich pork stock, slathered with mustard on a crusty baguette with some homemade pickles . . . rustic perfection.
The method for making head cheese is very simple, and I mean everyman simple: gently simmer the whole head of a pig in water with white wine, carrots, onions, bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns until everything falls off the bone, reduce the stock by two-thirds, cool to body temp, and season with salt and pepper. Pick the meat, and remove anything that you won’t want to eat (this is a very subjective part of the equation), put the meat and fat into a terrine mold (or loaf pan), and cover with the reduced stock. Press the mold over night and remove from the mold the next and . . . viola, headcheese! Not the tough and overly-gelatinous version but a supple and very pork-flavored loaf that is totally craveable, easy to prepare, and inexpensive. If you want to have a go at it, I am sure Clancy's in Minneapolis can source the ingredients for you.
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As a kid, I remember my grandma making headcheese. It was delicious--a lot of meat with just enough "gel" to hold it together. I also remember my dad lifting me up, then lifting the lid off the pot... 'nuff said.
Posted by: Jill on March 31, 2009 at 8:07 AM
Phillip..WHAT A GREAT ARTICLE!! The memories of HEAD CHEESE still linger in my foodie mind..I remember FORSTER'S in plymouth used to make THE BEST HEAD CHEESE!!!! Cynthia was true artist in making lesser-known OLD WORLD specialties... BTW....Can you give out some GRASS-FED beef recipes?..Much of the GRASS-FED beef i have tried is very tough and has a very AKWARD flavor..ANY SUGGESTIONS ON DRESSING IT UP??
Posted by: PS3MARKET on March 31, 2009 at 9:00 AM
Phil:
Since we are using whole animals from the tail through the head, we often make head cheese and cure our own guanciale from both pigs and wild boar at Heartland. We don't always have head cheese available so people should call a(head) to see if we have it, or they can look online at www.heartlandrestaurant.com. Sometimes it is offered only in the bar under the "charcuterie" (head)ing on that menu, but it is also available from time to time in the main dining room. We are happy to make exceptions for head cheese fans in no matter which room they are joining us.
We call it "fromage de tete" after the French name for head cheese. It's not as scary that way. Tin McKee pronounced it the best head cheese he ever had, but I was sitting across the table from him so I'm not sure if that's really true.
By the way, we use the same method you employ, but it is sometimes necessary to reduce the braising liquid by much more than two thirds in order to achieve the right viscosity for the natural gelatin. It is possible to test that by spooning a little on a dish and chilling it in the refrigerator. It should be firm but not hard. If it is too runny, it needs to continue reducing. In addition, your readers should know that they should make sure to remove the brain before attempting the recipe. The brain is too creamy to be included in this preparation. We include the tongue as well as the hocks as they lend themselves to a much better product. The tongue should be peeled and diced after cooking before adding it to the mix.
We just turned out a batch of wild boar head cheese on Sunday so we do have it in the house as I write this. It will keep for a couple of weeks, and then it will go away for a time until we get another porcine carcass.
Posted by: Lenny Russo on March 31, 2009 at 11:33 AM