Ingredients
1 | Pig head (Main) |
4 | Onions, peeled and chopped chunky |
2 | Bacon hock |
4 | Carrots, peeled and chopped chunky |
10 | Garlic cloves |
4 sticks | Celery, peeled and chopped chunky |
3 | Bay leaves |
1 Ltr | Cider, sweet (reduced to 250ml) |
1 Ltr | Beef stock |
1 to taste | Salt |
Directions
- Place pig's head into a large pot, cover with water bring to the boil, strain and discard the liquid.
- Put the head and bacon hocks back into the pot, cover with water and add ½ of each of the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and all the bay leaves.
- Bring to boil and simmer for 4½ hours, skimming the fat regularly throughout.
- Take the head and hocks out of the stock, strain and discard the veges and herbs.
- Put the stock back into the pot with the cider and beef stock, and continue to simmer.
- Reduce the stock to 1/3 and during this time add all remaining vegetables so they cook for approximately 10 minutes.
- Next place the head and stock into the fridge overnight. The following day peel off the fat from the reduced stock.
- Now it is time to disassemble the head and this is is where personal preference comes in. Me, I like the cheeks and ears.
- Use your fingers to feel around the bones, pulling off as much as possible - a little bit of skin or fat never hurt anyone.
- Now take the skin off the hocks, and pull away the meat so it is still chunky sized.
- Bring your stock back to the boil, add your hock meat and preferred head parts (large or small) and simmer.
- Taste and maybe add a pinch of salt at this stage.
- Find a mould and line with cling wrap. Using tongs, extract meaty and vegetable bits and place into the mould.
- Cover in stock and let set in the fridge. If you see the meat rising, push back down into the mould. Leave at least overnight. Enjoy!