Pig's Head, Collared (Superlative)

Ingredients

• Take a pig's head cut with as much of the neck as can be had
• Put one pound of salt
• a quarter of an ounce of saltpetre
• four quarts of water
• a handful of chopped juniper-berries
• half a dozen bruised cloves
• three bay-leaves
• a sprig of thyme
• a sprig of basil
• two or three sage-leaves
• half a pound of undressed ham
• half a pound of breast of bacon
• four ounces of fresh butter
• half a dozen young onions
• a tablespoonful of chopped parsley
• a little cayenne
• pounded mace

Method

1. 1

   Clean and split the pig's head, bone it, and rub with salt.

2. 2

   Drain for 24 hours, then brine with salt, saltpetre, water, juniper-berries, cloves, bay leaves, thyme, basil, and sage for 9-10 days.

3. 3

   After brining, dry and spread forcemeat made of ham, bacon, butter, onions, parsley, cayenne, and mace.

4. 4

   Shape the head, bind it, and simmer in water or stock with bones and seasoning until tender.

5. 5

   Leave in liquid until almost cold, then press under weight and serve.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Cassell's dictionary of cookery (1892) by Cassell & Company, page 1187. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

a sprig of parsley, a sprig of thjTue, five or six crushed cloves, and a quarter of a pint of vinegar. Let the water come to a boil, then skim it carefully, and let it simmer gently, until a skewer will pierce the head easily. Leave it in the liquid until it is half cold, then. PIG (557) PIG press it under a weight. "When it is cold and stiff take out the thi-eads, glaze the head, and serve it, garnished with clear jelly cut into dice. This jeUy may be made of the liquid in which the head was cooked boiled quickly down, and cleared with white of egg [see Aspic Jelly). Before sending the head to table it is well to cut a slice off the neck end to show of what the dish consists. Time to simmer, three hours or more. Probable cost, Is. per pound. Sufficient for a breakfast or luncheon dish. Pig's Head, Collared (Superlative).— Take a pig's head cut with as much of the neck as can be had. Clean it carefully, split it open to take out the brains, and bone it without injiuring the outer skin. Rub it well with common salt, and let it di-ain for twenty-four hours, then put it into a deep pan, and poui- over it a cold brine, prepared as follows : — Put one pound of salt and a quarter of an ounce of saltpetre into a stewpan, with four quarts of water, a handful of chopped juniper-berries, half a dozen bruised cloves, three bay-leaves, a sprig of thjTue and basil, and two or thi-ee sage- leaves. Boil quickly for a quarter of an hour, then put aside to cool. Let the head lie in this brine for nine or ten days, and tm-n and baste it frequently. Take it up, di-ain and dry it, and lay it open, skin downwards, upon a table; spread evenly over it a forcemeat, made of half a pound of undi'essed ham, half a pound of breast of bacon, four ounces of fresh butter, half a dozen young onions, finely-minced, a table- spoonful of chopped parsley, with a little cayenne and pounded mace. Pound these ingredients smoothly together. Shape the head as evenly as possible by lajnng the thick part of one cheek to the thin part of the other, then roll it tightly, bind it securely with tape, cover with a linen cloth, and put it into a ste^vpan, with as much cold water or stock as will cover it, together with the bones and trimmings of the head and a little seasoning. Let it simmer gently until done enough, that is, until a skewer will pierce it easily. Leave the head in the liquor until it is almost cold, then put it under a weight, and let it lie until the next day. Eemove the bindings, and serve on a neatly-folded napkin. Collared pig's head is a most convenient dish to keep in the house, as it will remain good for a considerable time in moderate weather. Time to boil, four houi-s, or more, from the time the liquid reaches the boiling point. Probable cost, 1 s. per pound. Sufficient for a breakfast or luncheon dish. Pig's Head, Made in the Shape of a Cheese. — Take away the bones entirely from a pig's head, and remove the flesh without injuring the skin. Cut the meat in pieces, separating the fat from the lean. Deal with the ears in a similar manner, and mix them with thyme, bay-leaves, sage, and parsley, cut as fine as possible. Add also the grated rind of a lemon, with its juice, and season the whole with salt, pepper, spices, and nutmeg. Place the skin of the head on a dish, and arrange the moat upon it, mixing the fat -and lean together. Add some pork fat, a tongue, dressed a Vicariate, and also some truffles cut in strips. AVhen the skin is filled, arrange it, and sew it round to close it. Now place it in a saucepan just large enough to hold it, and put with it some vege- tables, spices, salt, and pepper, together with equal parts of water and white wine, and simmer at a moderate heat for six or seven hours till done. Take the saucepan from the fire, and let the meat remain in it until almost cold. Then take it out, put it in a mould or iron saucepan, and place a wooden plate with a heavy weight on it to squeeze the head and flatten it into thc- form of a cheese. If preferred, a similar dish to the above may be prepared with the ears alone. Clean the ears, cut them in two pieces, season, and stew in white wine. When cooked sufficiently, arrange them in a mould with alternate layers of sliced tongue, prepared a Vecarlate, and previously cooked. Press out the whole then as flat as possible. Pig's Head, Moulded.— Lay the head and feet of a pig, and two calf's feet, all pro- perly cleansed, into a stewpan, A\'ith an onion, a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme

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