How do you cook a pig's head?

Jay-Jay_4

witchety woman! :rotfl:

It's the 'Complete home cookery book' circa 1950 something and has some delightful recipes such as bread tea (hot water with toast in... for sick children and pregnant women ) The author also recommends, for growing two yr olds.... chopped brains, liver and sweetbreads (oh my... testicles!... no, not MY testicles... I meant...oh never mind!). Oh ho!!! indeed! Is that with or without Tweenies pasta shapes?

wigginsmum

Sweetbreads are pancreas, aren't they? I cooked them once they were rather nice.

I had pig's head at an Arthurian banquet as a student once; I don't remember much about it (too much mead!) except there were pockets of flesh in unexpected places like behind the ears. As we were trying to be authentic we only had knives to eat with, so just hacked away as best we could.

Went into a local butchers on Sunday and eyed up bags of pigs' tails and chicken feet; promised my stepdaughter chicken feet soup and watched her go pale

Jules

Jay-Jay_4

wigginsmum wrote:

Sweetbreads are pancreas, aren't they?

dunno... my Mum used to cook them and I'm sure I remember them being aham... testicles

She also eats raw tripe so she has no limits, they could've been anything _pale_

wigginsmum

Raw tripe? Eeuw.

The most disgusting thing foodwise I ever heard was in something like Cosmo or Marie-Claire years ago. They interviewed some business-women around the world about their fave traditional foods. One was an Inuit or other Canadian Indian who worked as a lawyer; she took raw fish-heads, drove to the forest, buried them wrapped in leaves for 3 weeks, retrieved them and ate them. My stomach churned at the thought.

Jules

thriftlady_2

I've no experience of cooking a pig's head but there are recipes for brawn(a kind of jellied pate)in Jocasta Innes' The Pauper's Cookbook 2003 edition and The River Cottage Meat Book(p.486) which actually sounds really good.I think the eyes are removed by the butcher.Hugh F-W also has a recipe for crispy pig'ears and so does Nigella Lawson but I can't remember which book.HTH

Ticklemouse

Oh yes - I remember watching Nigella saying one her fave comfor foods was a pigs ear - I think she just boiled or steamed it. She was only allowed to eat it when the others weren't there, I believe

Debt_Free_Chick

Brawn - it's fantastic. The French have a similar dish called Jambon Perseille, which is made with ham but brawn is more cost effective. You quarter the head and simmer it with seasoning, as if you're making stock. Add a pig's trotter too, as that results in lots of jelly. When cooked, you strip the meat from the head - actually, it mostly falls off - then layer it in a dish with chopped parsley & more seasoning. Strain the cooking liquid and add a few ladles to the dish. Place a weight on the dish to press the whole thing down. You end up with a lovely terrine type of dish. Extremely tasty & very thrifty.

I'm off out for the day, but will look up the complete recipe in Hugh Furry Animal's meat book later

Pal

I have thought about buying a pigs head to make brawn (if only to freak out Mrs Pal) but the problem is finding pots and pans big enough to cook it all. A pig's head is a huge joint to try and cook!

thriftlady_2

Have you got a preserving pan , that might be big enough?

Sarahsaver

Thanks for the sensible suggestions so far.
Those of you who are squeamish, if you eat sausages you eat pigs' heads anyway.
I just wanted a recipe! I know it seems that silly season has arrived on old style. Like what SHOULD i have called the duck thread? but if i posted anything daft it would get wiped out or moved as quick as a flash :rolleyes: