Boar’s Head

Ingredients

• a well-shaped head
• 61b. of kitchen salt
• 4oz. of saltpetre
• 6oz. of moist sugar
• |oz. of juniper berries
• four cloves of garlic
• six bay leaves
• a handful of thyme
• a handful of marjoram
• a handful of basil
• a blade or two of mace
• a bottle of good cooking port
• two or three cow-heels

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the head by singeing and boning it.

2. 2

   Rub with pickle ingredients and soak in port for two weeks.

3. 3

   Rinse, dry, and layer with forcemeat and other fillings.

4. 4

   Tie into shape, braise with stock and game carcasses for 4-5 hours.

5. 5

   Set in jelly and glaze before serving.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The "Queen" cookery books: Breakfast and Lunch Dishes (1904) by S. Beaty-Pownall, page 41. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Boar’s Head. — Choose a well-shaped head, cut rather deep at the shoulders, and have it singed (the head must be taken off before the pig is scalded) with lighted straw ; this removes the bristles and gives it the look of a wild boar. Bone the head very carefully, beginning under the lower jaw, and being very careful not to cut the skin ; then spread out the head and rub it well with the following- pickle : 61b. of kitchen salt, 4oz. of saltpetre, 6oz. of moist sugar, |oz. of juniper berries, four cloves of garlic, six bay leaves, a handful of thyme, marjoram, and basil, with a blade or two of mace, and some cloves. When the head has been well rubbed all over pour on to it a bottle of good cooking port, and leave it in a cool place for a fortnight, turning and rubbing it every day. After this, lift it out of the i^ickle and rinse it thoroughly in plenty of cold water, after- wards carefully drying it with a clean cloth ; then spread it f'ut and pare off all the meat on the cheeks in thin, long slices till you get it all quite even. Spread on this an even layer of forcemeat (such as is used for gahintines), and lay on this again the fillets cut from the cheeks, the pig’s tongue also filleted, some sliced truffles, blanched pistachios if liked, &c., then another layer of forcemeat, and continue these two layers till the head is full, and you can tie it into proper shape ; then sew it up, and bind it into 84 BREAKFAST AND LUNCH DISHES. the right shape in a well-buttered, clean cloth, tying it firmly with wide tape, and set it in a braising pan with any carcases of game available (grouse and blackcock are particularly suitable), meat trim- mings, &c., and two or three cow-heels

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.