Homemade Headcheese

December 8, 2014 - 35 Comments

As I scrambled to stuff the preserved bags of green peppers behind the pig head in the freezer, and thus caused a cascade of frozen goods to fall from the shelf, I knew it was time. Time for my homemade headcheese recipe, baby.

When we butchered our two pigs back in October, I didn't have the time or energy for headcheese – so the two pig heads were quickly wrapped up in a thick layer of plastic wrap before being shoved into the freezer for keeping. There, they remained until just a few weeks ago, when I finally had the time and energy to turn those ‘ol gigantic heads into something delicious.

Now, don't go gettin' all grossed out on me now. Just because the meat didn't come from a super-familiar part of the body, like the pork belly, doesn't mean that it's gross. It just means that you're not used to it.

And as a foodie, might I just point out: it's always worth trying something before you turn your nose up at it.

Frankly, that's one of my pet peeves.

“Eww! Gross. I don't like (insert food here).”

Psh. You don't know that. Maybe you've only had (insert food here) cooked in a bad way. Or maybe you've only had (insert food here) from a bad source.

Many foods are worth trying, trying, and trying again. (At least, that's what I tell myself when I'm trying to get my husband to like beans for the 6,492 time).

That being said, let's turn our attention to the pig head. Full of gelatin. Full of meat. Full of fat. Hardly a piece of meat that we'd want to waste. And in our homestead adventure, it's all the more important to make good use of all that our pigs have provided us with. All meat and fat included. These ‘ol heads weigh… I don't know… like 15 pounds or something. It's incredible. Let's get to it!

Onward and upward to homemade headcheese.

Homemade Headcheese Recipe

You will need:

– 1 pig head, cleaned (I remove the cheeks and cure them just like my homemade bacon)

– Water

– Sea salt and pepper

– Large stock pot

1. Put the head (frozen or fresh) into a gigantic stockpot (like a seriously, seriously large pot). Cover with filtered water.

2. Slowly bring the pig head up to a very low simmer. Place the lid on and allow the pig head to simmer on low for 24 hours. By the time the head is done, it will be falling apart into pieces.

3. Carefully remove the head from the stockpot and place it onto a large platter (reserve the cooking liquid). Let it cool before using your hands to pick the meat from the bones. Some people like to chop up the cartilage bits, such as the ears, but I left that for the ‘ol dog.

4. Place the meat into a large bowl. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Error on the side of a little extra salty since headcheese is typically eaten at room temperature or cool.

5. Bring the cooking liquid back up to a simmer. Continue to aggressively simmer the stock until the liquid has mostly reduced and is slightly thick.

6. Place the shredded meat into a pan (like a loaf pan). Pour the reduced liquid over the meat until the pan is full and the meat is submerged.

7. Refrigerate the headcheese until it is ‘set'. The liquid will set and result in a gelatinous loaf of… well… meat.

8. Serve the headcheese sliced cold alongside a nice, crusty bread. If gelatinous meat ain't your thing, here's another great way to get all that delicious gelatin in your diet: slice the headcheese and place it atop a hot bowl of rice. The gelatin will melt again covering the rice and it will gently heat the meat – wow. That's some seriously delicious fast food.

9. Eat within a week or freeze the loaf for later consumption.

The meat from the head of the pig is so incredibly fatty and delicious – so tender, it shreds to the most beautiful bits of pork one ever did see.

I hate that our culture takes such a disgusted stance at something this wonderful. This pig gave his life for our nourishment and I'll be danged if I don't take full advantage of that delicious sacrifice.

It's all about utilization, thankfulness, and resourcefulness up in hizere, man. Even the dog got to clean up the extra bits.

And Amen.

For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes