Pork Brawn with the jelly

[Sirder]

Did a search on the Main Host Board for this .....and naturally ..They had'nt heard of it ........NO RESULT

I tell a Lie ...........I typed in "Pork Brawn " and got 3,545 results ranging from #15493Tahitian Pork to Pork Chops .but alas .no....oo Brawn ))))

I occasionally buy this from the Tripe Shop in the local Market .and its Mmmmmmmmmmmm out of this world ........bit expensive tho ...........now there has to be someone who knows how to make this Northern delicacy

Hopefully
Derek

[Tasty Tidbits]

I'll have a look through my books, but am not sure I have one. I think you use a pig's head to make it do you not?

[Tasty Tidbits]

umm...I think I found one online

http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/16948/granny-morgan's-brawn.html

Not something I think I'd want to try though!

[Sirder]

Had to smile when I saw your mention ofPigs head ...........Que Derek

and you're quite right ...I believe the Brawn connesuiers advocate that .
But no .My attempts centre on Pigs Trotters cooked Slowly with good seasoning ,Bay leaf . celery stalk,Onion etc .All this to create a Flavoured jelly with which to the Boil the Pork shoulder (Minced, Belly Pork and Bacon or Lardons)

Thats just the Basics .but Ifeel sure there's an even better way ........You really should try it ........The stock alone is delicious ...
Bu thank you so much for your efforts 6/10 ))))))

Kind Regards
Derek

[PinkCherryBlossom]

Hi,

I grew up on a farm amongst other places and always remember my nan using everything but the oink when it came to pigs. She used to make the recipe below, eat the trotters and keep the stock for jellying pork pies and such. Can't vouch for it (I am a veggie) but her pork pies were the star of the church fetes

4 pigs trotters
2 carrots
1 stick celery
1 onion
175ml wine vinegar
melted butter
dried breadcrumbs
pinch allspice

Bandage the trotters in pairs on to splints so that they keep their shape while cooking.
Put in a pot with the vegetables and cover with water and the vinegar. Simmer for 6 or 7 hours.
Allow to cool in the liquid.
To serve, split the trotters in two and roll in melted butter and dried breadcrumbs mixed with a pinch of allspice. Heat slowly under a grill until hot and crisp on the outside.

[lindseylcw]

My Nanna used to make brawn for me when I was little and it really is delicious.

She would boil 1/2 pigs head in water just seasoned with salt and black peppercorns, for a few hours, can't be more specific as depends on size but I don't think you can overcook. Pick all the meat off the bone and dice, put into a pate dish and cover with the stock. Put into fridge until set. Again it is up to you how much or little jelly you wish to put into this, personally I didn't like too much. This was served with a really spicey piccalilly. Not unlike the french rillettes but much less fat involved. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmy

[Sherrie-pie]

I've made brawn before, using chicken, though, not pork. It did make me smile. I went into a supermarket in South Africa once with my friend. There was a whole shelf of pig's heads, all wrapped beautifully in clingfilm. My friend took one look, raced up to the heads and put her finger in a pig's nose and wiggled it. "I've alwasy wanted to do that!" she said with extreme satisfaction.
Anyone ever cooked a calf's cheek?

[xtine]

In the American South there is a delicacy (mostly favored by the older generation these days) called "Hog's Head Cheese", and it sounds like it might be exactly what you're looking for... it's a jelly made of pork stock with bits of meat and spices suspended in it. A lot of Southern recipes have an English and/or Scottish background, as this is where many Southerners' ancestors originally came from, so it wouldn't surprise me if "Pork Brawn" is the direct parent of "Hog's Head Cheese". This recipe is from the days when it was said that Southerners "ate every part of the hog but the squeal".
Here's the recipe, but be warned - it is not for the faint of heart or for those without easy access to pig's heads & feet. This recipe is Cajun-influenced, which accounts for the large amount of cayenne pepper & garlic - if you think this will make it too spicy for your taste you can just leave it out.

HOG'S HEAD CHEESE

head, ears & feet of a hog
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups finely chopped green onions (scallions)
2 cups finely chopped parsley

Remove the eyes and brains from the head and split the head in half. Singe, wash and scrape the head thoroughly, removing the excess fat. Singe the pig feet; wash and scrape. Singe, wash, and clean the ears thoroughly with hot water. Place all the pieces of the hog in a large pot; cover with hot water. Boil until the meat drops from the bones. Reserve 2 cups of the broth. Put the meat through a meat grinder. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, broth, green onions and parsley to the meat.
Place in loaf pans, press with weights and refrigerate overnight. Slice, and store in jars covered with vinegar.

The above is a pretty old recipe, and I have not made it myself. I believe the "singeing" is to get rid of any bristles or hairs which may remain on the head. How you should do this, I have no idea, other than using tongs to hold each half-head one at a time over one of the burners on your gas range. Or if you have the ability to build an outdoor fire in your backyard you could try it out there (this is probably how it was originally done), but your neighbors may start making some disturbed calls to the local police

Good luck!

[Patchwork Dragon]

Sorry...just my opinion....but....

[Tasty Tidbits]

SandieB wrote:
Sorry...just my opinion....but....

I concur!

[The Frying Finn!]

Hello All! I am making some Pork Brawn right at the moment.. I have made it with a variety of meats ~ pig's head, pig's trotters, and chicken drumsticks. As long as the meat you use produces gelatine (aspic) it will work fine.

Today I am using pig's trotters boiling in water with 2 onions, a carrott, 3 bay leaves, 12 black peppercorns, 4 cloves, 1 juniper berry, dash white vinegar, 2 cloves of garlic, salt. I am cooking it for 3 to 4 hours to make sure the pork gives up its gelatine so the stock will set nicely.

When done I remove the meat from stock and allow to cool. Remove and discard fat and skin. Chop meat into very small pieces and arrange in a mould. Strain stock and return to pan and reduce until there is only the amount you need to cover your mould. Pour stock over the meat until it is covered. Refrigerate until set and enjoy!!

Cheers

Eric

[johnnyboy248]

Hi there
just wondering if you could help me out here my father was Russian and each Christmas he would make Brawn. He used to use pigs cheek and I think it was chuck steak I think onions bay leave salt and pepper. boil it up in a big pot for hours then we had the job of cutting it up small then back into the pot.Then into bowls for the fridge to set I have fond memories of all the years he made it was mouth watering and had Vinegar and mustard on it. Does that sound right chuck steak maybe it might of been Veal not sure. [/b]

[duonyte]

Hi, this is an old thread, but I do know what you are referring to. I've posted an updated recipe for this dish - in Lithuania we call it koseliena or saltiena - Koseliena (Lithuanian Chopped Meat in Aspic)

You can mix the meats (I use pigs feet and chicken to get a lighter, meatier end result), and I have had it with beef in it. I would say you would want to use a mix of pigs feet or cheeks and beef, and use bone-in beef - the gelatine is in the bones, and if you use too much beef, it won't gel.

You can certainly do this in a pot on the stove top, mother always did it that way, and so did I until the lightbulb went off over my head that the crockpot is a much easier way to go.