A few weeks ago I was dining on a patio and enjoying a Lone Star longneck when a friend of mine started rambling about an art project involving a hog head. I could see her lips moving, but the sound of the words faded into a childhood memory of eating something super-delicious that my grandma (Maw Maw, that is) used to make: hog head cheese. My friend noticed the glazed look on my face and asked me what was up.
"Nothing. I gotta go home and make some hog head cheese," I blurted before hopping the patio fence and diving through my car window Duke boy-style.
Before it was trendy at restaurants, people used to cook every single part of swines, bovines and any other animules that they had nearby because they couldn't afford to waste anything. Most farms had hogs, since they were the original green machines, getting fat off of food scraps tossed in their trough. Slaughter the hog, prep all the good parts and what's left? Head, feet and tail.
Naturally these culinary visionaries of yesteryear saved the tail for pin the tail on the donkey and tossed the rest in a pot and wrangled it until something good came out.
I called 92 year-old Maw Maw on my way from Moon Tower to Foodarama, quizzing her on the ins and outs of making hog head cheese. The first words out of her mouth were, "Don't use a hog head. It's too much work. Use a Boston butt instead." She went on to explain that Great Maw Maw used the head, as did she, until deciding that picking meat off the head wasn't worth it. Further, no one could tell that it was a butt (which is actually a pork shoulder).
Before you bomb me with "it's not authentic if it's not a head" in the comments, you need to consider that it's not truly authentic unless you've got a hog in your backyard that you plan on field dressing on your clothesline posts before butchering it in front of your astounded neighbors. Should you insist on using a genuine head, Maw Maw advises that you remove the eyes before you boil it. She did not proffer any additional details on why, not that I wanted them.
Maw Maw's Hog Head Cheese
- 4 - 5 lbs. Boston Butt
- 4 pig feet
- 3 onions finely chopped
- 4 - 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 envelope gelatin
- 1 bunch green onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp. all spice
- ½ cup oil
- Salt, black and red pepper to taste
Put the pig feet (yes, you need these because the feet contribute natural gelatin and flava) in a large pot with just enough water to cover them. Boil them for about 30 to 45 minutes.
Cube the butt, trimming the fat along the way. Add cubed pork, onion and garlic to the pot and cook until tender; about 20 to 30 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the feet and meat from juice. Leave juice in the pot; skim fat if desired.
Pick all feet meat from bones. Chop meat into small pieces (authentic) or use food processor on course setting (be careful not to over-Cuisinart your way straight to pork paste).
Return the pork to the pot and add salt, peppers and allspice. Cook until the mixture gets very thick; roughly 15 minutes.
Mix gelatin with ¼ cup cold water. Add gelatin and green onion to boiling liquid.
Remove from fire and pour into molds (authentic if they're cast iron) or a 9" x 13" nonstick baking pan (reality).
Let the hog head cheese cool before refrigerating it.
Notes:
Don't be shy when adding the pepper to taste, but remember that you can always spice it up during serving. And, not everyone wants something that melts their fillings PS.
If you find that the mixture does not congeal properly, you can cook it down again, add another gelatin envelope and repeat the molding step.
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FAQs
Made of boiled scraps of pig, including the feet, the fat from the cooked meat provides a gelatinous binding. The boiled pig parts are preserved in vinegar and allowed to cool and set in a jelly roll pan, loaf pan, or some other mold.
How do they make hog head cheese? ›
Made of boiled scraps of pig, including the feet, the fat from the cooked meat provides a gelatinous binding. The boiled pig parts are preserved in vinegar and allowed to cool and set in a jelly roll pan, loaf pan, or some other mold.
How long does it take hog maws to get done? ›
Cover the pot and cook the hog maws over medium heat for about 2-3 hours, or until they are very tender and the flavor of the remaining liquid should be concentrated. Occasionally check the pot to check on them.
What's the difference between souse and headcheese? ›
A lot of people wonder about souse vs. head cheese, but these two things are actually the same in the way that cotto is a type of salami. Head cheeses are made from boiled hogs' head meat suspended in gelatin. Souse is a type of head cheese that contains vinegar.
Is hog head cheese already cooked? ›
It's served as a meat jelly because the natural collagen found in the head solidifies together as the head cheese is cooked and cooled. It's often served as a spread to capitalize on this texture.
Is hog head cheese healthy? ›
Head cheese contains a small amount of healthy fats, including monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.
What parts of the pig are in head cheese? ›
The parts of the head used vary, and may include the tongue but do not commonly include the brain, eyes or ears. Trimmings from more commonly eaten cuts of pork and veal are often used, and sometimes the feet and heart, with gelatin added as a binder.
How do you make hog maws tender? ›
Cooking Hog Maw
Next, add the rest of the ingredients; onion, celery, bell peppers, garlic, thyme, Creole seasoning, beef bouillon, cayenne pepper, and water to the pot. Mix thoroughly, place pot over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 60-90 minutes or until tender.
Do you have to clean hog maws? ›
Hog maws are the exterior lining of a pig's stomach and are a part of the cuisine of many cultures, such as the Pennsylvania Dutch and African-American soul food. In order to cook hog maws, you have to properly clean them first. Fortunately, cleaning hog maws is actually pretty easy.
What is another name for hog maws? ›
Hog maw, sometimes called pig's stomach, Susquehanna turkey or Pennsylvania Dutch goose is a Pennsylvania Dutch dish. In the Pennsylvania German language, it is known as Seimaage (sigh-maw-guh), originating from its German name Saumagen.
Souse, a highly seasoned hog's head cheese, is very popular as a cold cut or appetizer. In Mississippi, Alabama, and other southern states, it is encountered in a spicy form known as souse or less spicy hog's head cheese.
Why do they call it hog head cheese? ›
It is often referred to in North America as “head cheese.” Many people believe that calling it cheese makes it sound more appetizing, especially to those who squirm at the thought of eating a pig's head. Other names that it goes by include “brawn,” potted heid,” and “souse.”
What is slang for head cheese? ›
Head cheese, also known as brawn, a terrine usually made from the head of a pig or calf and set in aspic. A slang term for smegm* in many English speaking countries.
What is the best way to eat hog head cheese? ›
If you like bologna, you'll like hog's head cheese. Much like many of our favorite lunch meats, more often than not, we don't really know what's in there, but, slapped between two pieces of slightly toasted bread with fresh summer tomatoes and crunchy lettuce, it still tastes fantastic.
Why is Boar's head cheese so good? ›
Boar's Head is a family-owned and operated company that has been making high-quality deli meats and cheeses for over 30 years. They use only the finest ingredients, and their products are minimally processed. This means that you can taste the difference in every bite.
Can you freeze homemade hog head cheese? ›
-In small blocks, the hog's head cheese will last frozen for many years. It's perfect to serve at breakfast melted into grits or as a Cajun delicacy at parties with jalapeños, olives or cheddar cheese on a cracker – or in my case, with low-fat cheese and a jalapeño on a gluten-free rice thin.
What are the ingredients in Richard's Hog head cheese? ›
INGREDIENTS: Pork Snouts, Pork Broth, Pork, Onions, Celery, Green Peppers, Salt, Spice (Paprika, Pepper, Red Pepper), Parsley, Sodium Diacetate, Nisin, Rosemary Extract, Monosodium Glutamate, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite.
Is Boar head cheese good? ›
Boar's Head is a family-owned and operated company that has been making high-quality deli meats and cheeses for over 30 years. They use only the finest ingredients, and their products are minimally processed. This means that you can taste the difference in every bite.
What is Boar's head cheese made of? ›
Boar's Head American Cheese is a pasteurized process cheese that is made with 100% cheddar cheese for smooth textured cheese with amazing melting qualities. Boar's Head American Cheese is great for hot and cold applications alike.
What is pig cheese made of? ›
Pig milk, at eight and a half percent butterfat, is exceptionally rich and the proportions of components like water and lactose are like those of cow milk. Lee managed to make some ricotta from the pig's milk which he said was 'delicious', and in Italy there's a pig's cheese called Porcorino.
