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River City Smokehouse
01-03-2008, 12:42 PM
Sometime ago Jeff Brinker was talking about smoking a pig's head. I was talking to a friend today who is a butcher and I was asking about pig heads for center pieces and he said they were running $15 each with the jowls intact. Is that a good price? Also does anyone know about how to tell when one is done? About how long one should cook for and at what temp?

keale
01-03-2008, 02:46 PM
Hey Jim, I was very scared to open this thread! Now I know why!!
I just learned from "Jacob" what was "jowls", I wish now I still didn't know! LOL!
Actually my neighbors just cut up a Pigs Head, their nationality is Filipino, he just kept on chopping, and I kept on watching, hardly any waste at all, he made Adobo, with it...vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, bayleaf.
and people say us Hawaiians eat weird things! :-P
If you do smoke it, take pics!:-P

Arlin_MacRae
01-03-2008, 02:49 PM
Ain't nothin' wrong with a smoked pig head...

ZBQ
01-03-2008, 02:54 PM
The wife would freak out if she saw one of those!! :roll:

The rest of her family too!:roll:

Squeamish, I tell ya!!:icon_sleepy

I think they look cool though.

broschultz
01-03-2008, 03:14 PM
so how do you cook it?

jestridge
01-03-2008, 04:19 PM
When I was a kid we cook hog head and cure the jowel meat. Some people would make souse out of the head. We aslo would castrate the male pigs an eat the testicals (yum)

Damar12
01-03-2008, 04:37 PM
Some folks boil it in spices and stuff, then let it gel and call it hogshead cheese.

CajunSmoker
01-03-2008, 05:57 PM
My mother used to make souse and cook up hog's head. I never paid any attention to what she did but I sure had some surprises openin up the fridge and havin a farkin pig head staring back at me:shock::biggrin:

Kentuckiana Gib
01-03-2008, 07:05 PM
Granny used to make souse at butchering time. It can be found sometimes in the stores as head cheese but it's getting rare. She always cut up the head outside in case she popped an eyeball. That can make a real mess.

Plowboy
01-03-2008, 08:45 PM
Ain't nothin' wrong with a smoked pig head...

I think he has your smile, Arlin.

Brian in So Cal
01-03-2008, 08:53 PM
That pig head is cool!!

ams14
01-03-2008, 08:59 PM
They ate those for christmas dinner in the book Angela's Ash's

BBQ_MAFIA
01-03-2008, 09:15 PM
I never cooked the Hogs head on its own. But, when it looks really cool
when I do the whole Hog. We strip all the meat from the hod and that includes the head. Tasty stuff.

Mutha Chicken BBQ
01-03-2008, 09:21 PM
Very cool,

I had a guy at a wedding I catered ask for the head. Said it was his favorite. I personally like it in Scrapple

Arlin_MacRae
01-04-2008, 08:51 AM
I think he has your smile, Arlin.


Hmm - I didn't notice that he was smiling!

Been looking for a reason to post that pic. :biggrin:

Mark
01-04-2008, 12:15 PM
Afterwards, you could probably market them as Brethren hood ornaments.

Greendriver
01-04-2008, 03:07 PM
I've had souse meat on crackers and I've had brains and eggs and liked both of em but somehow missed getting to see it made from a fresh pigs head.

sajones97
01-04-2008, 03:14 PM
What is souse? My grandparents raised pork, and I've eaten lots of different parts, but never heard of souse. . . ?

Greendriver
01-04-2008, 03:43 PM
What is souse? My grandparents raised pork, and I've eaten lots of different parts, but never heard of souse. . . ?

same thing as head cheese I think - proly just a regional thing with names and all.

MAsQue
01-04-2008, 03:56 PM
... I was asking about pig heads for center pieces...

Man, would I want to be REAL sure about my audience before I tried that idea out!

Arlin_MacRae
01-04-2008, 04:02 PM
That pig head in the picture I put up was carefully removed from a whole pig we had at a city Chamber of Commerce luau. After 'hamming it up' for the camera I placed it in a place of honor. Some of the people looked at me like I was Doc Frankenstein! lol

Bottles 'n Bones BBQ
01-04-2008, 04:28 PM
Jimmy Fitz...Make sure you ask for a complete melon. The processors I've dealt with around here like to split 'em down the middle or quarter 'em. If there ain't no brain in there, I'd take the temp in the cheek...170~180*??? If you're not going to pick at the cheek meat, take it off when the color's where you want it. My guess anyway...

Souse is pretty much the same as Brawn & Head Cheese...and seems the recipes vary from place to place. We actually prefer Ponas, pan fried and doused with Maple Syrup.

Mmmm Good...!!! (once you get used to the gelatin part)
http://www.btinternet.com/~happydudevir/brawn1.jpg

Brawn
~ Paul Kribs, Sausagemaking.org (Nov 2004)

Whilst the forum was down I had my first attempt at making Brawn, also known as Fromage de Tete or Head Cheese. I used a recipe from the Uktvfood site, but made a few alterations.

Head Cheese

Ingredients
For the brine
6 litres water
1kg sea salt
1kg Sugar
4 Lemons, juice only
1 tsp black peppercorns
5 Bay Leaves
1 tbsp juniper berries, optional
1 nutmeg, halved, optional
3/4 tsp cloves, optional

For the meat
1 pig's head, halved
2 pig's trotters
1 onion
4 cloves
Bay leaves
peppercorns
2 Lemons, juice and zest
bunch Parsley, chopped

Method
1. Put all the brine ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil – this is to sterilise everything and ensure that the salt and sugar dissolve properly. Simmer for 5 minutes, then cover and leave it on one side to cool.

2. Rinse the pig’s head under a tap, and brush away any dirt from the nostrils and teeth.

3. Pour the cooled brine into a large tub or bucket, and add the pigs head and trotters. Leave to soak for 2 days.

4. Take the head and trotters out of the brine, rinse thoroughly and put in a large saucepan. Stud the onion with the cloves and add to the pan. Cover with cold water and add an extra 3cm water, so that the head is completely immersed. Bring it all to the boil with the bay leaves and peppercorns.

5. Gently simmer everything for 4-6 hours with the lid on the pan. Turn the heat off and leave to cool. Lift out the head and trotters and put them in a large roasting tin. Pour off all but 2 litres of the remaining broth and set aside.

6. Pick through the remains of the head and trotters, removing as much meat as possible. Dice or shred the meat and place in a bowl. Cover and set aside.

7. Put any remaining bones and skin back in the pan with 2 litres or so of the reserved broth. Simmer for another hour until it’s reduced by half.

8. Strain the resulting broth and combine 500ml of it with the meat from the head. Add the lemon juice, zest and the parsley. It should be of a porridge-like consistency.

9. Line 3 x 500g loaf tins with cling film and spoon in the meat and broth mixture. Leave to cool before chilling overnight in the fridge. Serve with English mustard and crusty bread.


I only had 1/2 a head so altered the recipe accordingly, and ended up with just over 1 lb of brawn. I must say that the result was superb and reminded me of brawn my mothers friend used to make back in the 1950's - 60's. I didn't bother clarifying the gelatine, which I had already made from the bones, skin, trotters etc a few weeks back. It was vac packed and frozen and once thawed and warmed through for use, was perfect with no ill effects from freezing.

sajones97
01-04-2008, 04:40 PM
Thanks Bs&Bs -- the professor is IN.:mrgreen:

Greendriver
01-04-2008, 05:52 PM
I've heard the term "pig's trotters" before but haven't got a clue as to what that is and I'm NOT lying. What is pig trotters? Oh hell, I bet they are the pigs feet. Getting good at answering my own questions. If they are not pigs feet someone let me know so I won't be in the dark about these trotters.

MAsQue
01-05-2008, 12:23 AM
I've heard the term "pig's trotters" before but haven't got a clue as to what that is and I'm NOT lying. What is pig trotters? Oh hell, I bet they are the pigs feet. Getting good at answering my own questions. If they are not pigs feet someone let me know so I won't be in the dark about these trotters.

Right the first time.