Head Cheese in the works

ssorllih
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Post by ssorllih » Fri Oct 26, 2012 02:44

Jan , Chicken legs and wings also cook down for a good thick stock.
Ross- tightwad home cook
Cabonaia
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Post by Cabonaia » Fri Oct 26, 2012 15:39

Jan - I see the skins in your great looking headcheese. How did you prepare it? Did you cook it down along with everything else, or give it extra time?

Thanks,
Jeff
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redzed
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Post by redzed » Fri Oct 26, 2012 16:15

Well Jan, since you've asked what I would have done, here goes.

If you like the red colour along with slightly different taste, you can cure all your meat for 2 or 3 days in the fridge before cooking. This way you don't have to look for already cured meats to add to the mix. Just score the larger chunks so that the cure penetrates. Don't oversalt the cured meat because you can always adjust the saltiness of the broth later. My father also insists that the garlic should be added to the mixture that you will be stuffing rather than to the initial broth. For esthetic purposes, I would grind or finely chop the skins, but that is a matter of personal preference. I know that a lot of people are squeamish about it, like my wife, but when I chopped the skins and some of the fat and mixed it nicely with everything else, she did not even notice and ate most of what I made. You did a good job on the broth since it is nice and clear. The Hungarian version does not seem to differ too much from the Polish one, with the exception of the addition of the paprika. I will have to try that one of these days as well.
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Post by crustyo44 » Fri Oct 26, 2012 20:05

Hi Red,
Your advise is greatly appreciated, I will chop the skins smaller and will add the the garlic only to the meat/broth mixture before stuffing.
Old family recipes are always my favourite as all the pittfalls have been ironed out over sometimes several generations.
My wife refuses to eat the head cheese but all the grandkids are more adverturous and love it.
Thanks Mate for the advise.
Regards,
Jan.
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Post by crustyo44 » Fri Oct 26, 2012 20:09

Hi Jeff,
The skins I always cook before with the bones when I debone pork. This broth is than reduced by half. The next lot I make will have the skins chopped small and I will follow the advise posted by redzed.
For me it's all trial and error but I am getting there.
Regards,
Jan.
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