Pig's Head

[River City Smokehouse]

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]

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!
If you do smoke it, take pics!

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

Ain't nothin' wrong with a smoked pig head...

 

[ZBQ]

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]

so how do you cook it?

 

[jestridge]

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]

Some folks boil it in spices and stuff, then let it gel and call it hogshead cheese.

 

[CajunSmoker]

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]

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]

Ain't nothin' wrong with a smoked pig head...

I think he has your smile, Arlin.

 

[Brian in So Cal]

That pig head is cool!!

 

[ams14]

They ate those for christmas dinner in the book Angela's Ash's

 

[BBQ_MAFIA]

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]

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]

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]

Afterwards, you could probably market them as Brethren hood ornaments.

 

[Greendriver]

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]

What is souse? My grandparents raised pork, and I've eaten lots of different parts, but never heard of souse. . . ?

 

[Greendriver]

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]

... 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!