Frederic Melton
Hog's head cheese is a dish made from select cuts of pork braised in a flavorful stock until tender. The meat is then placed in a mold and filled with collagen-rich stock to set overnight. While it is called cheese, it does not contain any dairy products. Hog's head cheese is a specialty in Southern Louisiana and is often served as an appetizer or on sandwiches with mustard and pickles. The dish is made with various cuts of meat, including the pig's tongue, jowl, cheek, and feet. The collagen in the skin and bones adds to the gelatinous texture of the dish.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Select cuts of pork, collagen-rich stock, vegetables, herbs, spices, meat trimmings, pig's feet, tongue, vinegar, salt, pepper, pickles, mustard, mayo |
| Preparation | Meat is braised in stock, placed in a mold, and filled with stock to firm up |
| Taste | Spicy, sweet, sour |
| Texture | Tender, creamy, jelly-like, firm |
| Serving suggestions | Sandwiches, crackers, charcuterie plates, po'boys, Creole mustard |
| Variations | Souse, sulze, fromage de cochon, brawn, disznósajt, testa in cassetta, coppa di testa, formaggio di testa, queso de cabeza, potted head |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Hog head cheese is cooked by boiling meat scraps
Hog head cheese, also known as souse, is a dish that originated in Louisiana, United States. It is made by boiling meat scraps, primarily from a pig's head, to create a terrine-like spread. The process of making hog head cheese involves selecting collagen-rich cuts of meat, including the face, skin, tongue, jowl, cheek, and pig's feet. These cuts are braised in a flavourful stock until the meat becomes extremely tender. The cooked meat is then placed into a mould and filled with a collagen-rich stock to firm up overnight.
Hog head cheese is not actually a type of cheese, but rather a dish that gets its name from its cheese-like appearance. It is dairy-free but not vegan, as it contains animal products. The dish is considered a delicacy in some regions and is often served as an appetizer or used as a filling for sandwiches.
The preparation of the meat is an important step in making traditional hog head cheese. While it is not necessary to cure the meat before cooking, it is recommended to have at least 25% skin in the recipe. This can be obtained from the pig's face or feet, or one can request it from a butcher. Other cuts of meat used in the dish include the tongue, jowl, cheek, and meat from the hock or trotter.
Braising the meat for several hours makes it tender and flavourful. After the meat is cooked, it is shredded and reduced to a stringy consistency. Some recipes suggest clarifying the stock to enhance the flavour and create a cleaner, crystal-clear aspic. This additional step involves removing impurities from the stock through a heating and skimming process.
Hog head cheese has a long history and was once a staple in deli shops and butcher shops. It is believed to have been created out of necessity by those who could not afford the best cuts of meat and had to utilise discarded parts. The dish holds cultural significance, especially within the African-American community in the American South, where it was created by enslaved people and their descendants.
Greek Cheese: Cooking Techniques and Tips
You may want to see also
It is seasoned with herbs, spices, and minced vegetables
Hog's head cheese is a dish that originated in Louisiana, United States. It is made by boiling scraps of pig, including the head, feet, tongue, jowl, cheek, and hock or trotter. These cuts of meat are braised or boiled in a stock or broth until they are very tender. The cooked meat is then placed into a mould and filled with a collagen-rich stock to set overnight. The gelatinous binding is created by the fat from the cooked meat.
Hog's head cheese is not actually a cheese, but rather a terrine-like meat spread. It is often served cold as an appetizer or used as a filling for sandwiches or po'boys. In the American South, hog's head cheese is a spicy dish that was traditionally made by enslaved people and their descendants, who turned offal and pig scraps into a delicious and resourceful meal.
The dish is highly seasoned with herbs, spices, and minced vegetables. While specific recipes may vary, common ingredients used to season hog's head cheese include garlic, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Some recipes also include onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. The vegetables are typically cooked in a pot with the pork roast, adding flavour to the dish.
In addition to the spices and vegetables, vinegar is also a key ingredient in hog's head cheese. It is added to the boiled meat to give it a sour taste and to help preserve it. This practice of pickling the meat is known as "sousing" and is where the dish gets its alternate name, "souse".
Overall, the combination of herbs, spices, and minced vegetables enhances the flavour of hog's head cheese, making it a unique and tasty dish.
Cooking Jalapenos: Cheesy Stuffed Treats
You may want to see also
Hog head cheese is also known as souse
Hog head cheese, also known as head cheese, is made from scraps of a pig's head, including the tongue, snout, cheek, ears, and sometimes the heart. The dish is believed to have originated in Europe during the Middle Ages, when lords and land barons reserved the best meat cuts, leaving peasants and serfs with the less desirable parts, such as the pig's head. Hog head cheese is not a cheese and contains no dairy products. The term "cheese" refers to the process of pressing the meat mixture into a mold or container to set, similar to making cheese.
In Mississippi, Alabama, and other Southern states, it is encountered in a spicy form known as souse or a less spicy variant called hog's head cheese. Souse is a pickled meat made from pig's feet, chicken feet, or cow's tongue, among other parts. The meat is cooked, cut into bite-sized pieces, and soaked in a brine made of water, lime juice, cucumbers, hot pepper, salt, and other seasonings. Souse is commonly eaten on Saturday mornings in St. Vincent and Barbados and is served at social gatherings in Trinidad and Tobago.
In Pennsylvania, head cheese is called souse in the Pennsylvania Dutch language. It is typically prepared from the meat of pig's feet or tongue and is pickled with sausage. In Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and other parts of the Upper Midwest, head cheese and sulze are made from pork snouts and tongues, but head cheese often uses larger chunks of smoked meat, while sulze uses unsmoked, chopped meat with added vinegar and pickles. In Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other parts of the Deep South, hog's head cheese is popular as a cold cut or appetizer. It is often seasoned with green onions and vinegar to give it a sour taste.
Hog head cheese is also consumed in other parts of the world, such as South America, where it is known by different names. In Chile and Colombia, it is referred to as queso de cabeza, while in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Costa Rica, it is called queso de chancho. In Uruguay and Argentina, the dish is known as queso de cerdo. In Panama, it is called sous, derived from Caribbean English souse, and is prepared with pig's feet in the Caribbean style.
In summary, hog head cheese, a dish with European origins, is also known as souse, especially in the Southern states of the US, Pennsylvania, and some parts of the Upper Midwest. It is made from various parts of a pig's head and is either pickled or spiced, resulting in a delicious and nutritious delicacy enjoyed by many.
Juustoleipa Cheese: Cooking Tips and Tricks
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It is served cold, often with crackers or in sandwiches
Hog head cheese is a popular dish in the Deep South, especially in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other Southern states. It is made from select cuts of pork, braised in a flavorful stock until tender. The meat is then placed into a mold and filled with a collagen-rich stock to set overnight. Hog head cheese is not actually a cheese, but rather a dairy-free meat spread or appetizer that is often served cold.
The dish is typically made with pig's tongue, jowl, cheek, and meat from the hock or trotter. These cuts are braised for several hours until tender, and the resulting gelatinous broth is used to set the meat in a mold. Hog head cheese is often seasoned with green onions and vinegar, giving it a sour taste. It is a popular Cajun food and can be served as an appetizer or cold cut.
Hog head cheese is commonly served cold, making it a perfect accompaniment to crackers or sandwiches. It can be spread on crackers, especially saltines, or used as a filling for po'boys or sandwiches. The creamy mayonnaise, spicy mustard, and pickles can be added to the sandwich to complement the head cheese.
In addition to being served with crackers or in sandwiches, hog head cheese can also be enjoyed on its own or as part of a charcuterie plate. It is a versatile dish that can be sliced and served cold, offering a unique and tasty experience for those who enjoy pork products.
Hog head cheese is a traditional dish with a long history, and while it may not be for the faint of heart due to its unusual ingredients, it remains a beloved specialty in certain regions.
Pork Tenderloin: Asparagus, Cheese, and Juicy Meat
You may want to see also
It is a popular dish in the Southern United States
Hog's head cheese, also known as souse, is a popular dish in the Southern United States, especially in Louisiana. It is made by boiling scraps of pig, including the face, skin, feet, tongue, jowl, cheek, and trotter, in a flavourful stock until tender. The cooked meat is then placed in a mould and filled with collagen-rich stock to set overnight. The gelatinous nature of the dish is due to the natural gelatin found in the collagen-rich cuts of meat used.
The dish is said to have originated in the American South, where enslaved people and their descendants created head cheese from offal and pig scraps. It is considered a resourceful dish with historical significance for many African Americans in the region. Hog's head cheese is often enjoyed as a spread on crackers or sandwiches, paired with condiments such as mustard, mayonnaise, and pickles. It can also be used as a filling for po'boys, a type of sandwich.
In Louisiana, hog's head cheese is a specialty that was once a staple in deli and butcher shops. It is sometimes referred to as "fromage de cochon" in Louisiana French. The dish is also popular in other Southern states such as Mississippi and Alabama, where it is known for its spicy flavour.
Hog's head cheese is often served cold and can be highly seasoned to create a unique and tasty pork aspic. While it may not be for the faint of heart due to its unusual ingredients, hog's head cheese is a beloved traditional dish in the Southern United States, with a rich cultural and historical background.
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks: From Freezer to Plate
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Hog head cheese is a dish made from select cuts of pork braised in a flavorful stock until tender. The meat is then placed in a mould and filled with a collagen-rich stock to firm up overnight.
Hog head cheese is made by boiling meat and dressing it with herbs, spices, and minced vegetables. The meat is cooked until it is tender and shredded.
Hog head cheese is made from the meat of pig's feet or tongue, and it is pickled with sausage. The recipe also includes pig tongue, jowl, cheek, and meat from the hock or trotter.
Yes, hog head cheese is cooked. The meat is braised or boiled and then placed in a mould to firm up overnight.
