Pork Headcheese

Pork Headcheese © kvalifood.com

Pork headcheese is a classic Danish cold cut made from boiled pig’s head and optionally hock and tongue, seasoned with allspice, cloves and nutmeg, then pressed into a firm terrine. Served in slices on rye bread with mustard and pickled beetroot.

Ingredients

  • ½ pig’s head
  • 1 pork hock (optional)
  • 1 pig’s tongue (optional)
  • water
  • salt
  • 1 bouquet garni of leek tops, celery tops, thyme, parsley and bay leaf
  • 1 onion studded with 3 cloves
  • 1 carrot

Spice mix

  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp grated nutmeg

To serve

  • rye bread
  • mustard
  • pickled beetroot

Method

Cook the pig’s head

Clean and rinse the pig’s head thoroughly. Cut it into pieces if needed. Place the meat in a large pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Skim the broth.

Add salt, the bouquet garni, the onion with cloves and the carrot. Continue cooking with the lid on for about 2 hours, until the meat is very tender.

Pull and season

Lift out the meat and let it cool slightly. Peel the tongue. Remove all bones, rind and cartilage. Cut the meat into small pieces and mix with the spice mix and about 1¼ cups (3 dl) of strained cooking broth.

Press the headcheese

Pour the mixture into a bowl or mould. Place a light weight on top and refrigerate until the headcheese is firm and can be sliced.

Serving

Slice and serve on rye bread with mustard and pickled beetroot.

Notes

  • For a leaner headcheese, use hock, shoulder, tongue and tenderloin instead of head.
  • Veal headcheese is made the same way using veal hock and shoulder.
  • Herb headcheese: reduce ¼ cup (½ dl) tarragon vinegar and ½ cup (1 dl) white wine, add chopped shallots, parsley and spinach or chervil, coarsely crushed pepper and about ¾ cup (2 dl) of the cooking broth. Mix with the meat and press as above.
  • Can be frozen for about 1 month.