Souse - Headcheese

An heirloom, butchering-time recipe impractical for most modern cooks. From the Pennsylvania Dutch chapter of the United States Regional Cookbook, Culinary Arts Institute of Chicago, 1947. Posting it as a historical novelty. Cooking time is approximate.

• Ready In: 3 hrs
• Yields: 4 1/2 pounds

Ingredients

• 1  pig head
• 6  pig's feet, and hocks (3 pair)
• 3  onions, peeled and sliced
•  salt and pepper
• 3  peppercorns
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  mace blade
• 3⁄4 cup vinegar

Directions

1. Clean the pig's head thoroughly, removing tongue; split head open.
2. Clean feet and hocks; place with the head in a large kettle.
3. Cover with water, bring to a boil and cook until tender enough to remove bones easily
4. Lift out meat and cool.
5. Add onions and seasonings to broth; reduce by half.
6. Strain and cool.
7. Remove meat from bones and cut it into pieces.
8. Skim fat from cooled broth; place in a kettle with meat and vinegar; bring to a boil.
9. Turn into a mold or loaf pans and add as much of the liquid as it will hold.
10. Place in refrigerator.
11. When cold, this will set up firmly and may be cut into pieces for salads, sandwich meat or to fry.