Family Recipe - Head Cheese

Well, I finally tried my hand at making head cheese or as some would call "souse". This recipe was handed down to me by my parents who were third generation butchers. Dan's Meat Market was located in a small town west of San Antonio, Texas. I had only made it once with my mother after my father passed away. My mother has since passed so with recipe in hand and a faint memory of the instructions, I started with caution on my current endeavor.



Ingredients are as follows:


8 Pork Hocks fresh not smoked
4 lb. Pork Boston Butt Roast (personal preference of my mother but not in original recipe)
1 ½ - 2 cups Distilled Vinegar
Salt to taste
Coarse Pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste (this is a personal preference and not in the original recipe)  
 

 



Put the hocks in a large stock pot with water covering the hocks, no seasoning is added at this time. Simmer until done and meat is pulling away from the bone.








Season pork roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

As the hocks are simmering, put the seasoned roast in oven at 325 degrees and slow bake for 2-2 1/2 hours until meat falls apart.

Roast will look like this once done.


Set out to cool.





Put cooked hocks on cookie sheet to cool.

After the meat is cool to the touch, pull all meat, fat and gristle off of the hock bones. Measure about 2 pounds of the roast and add to the meat taken off of the hocks and chop in small pieces. I used a large knife rather than a food processor. I wanted it meaty.

Take the chopped meat, 1/2 - 3/4 of the hock broth (skimming and discarding the top layer of fat), vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic powder and mixed in a large plastic meat lug. The mixture should be very soppy. Then transfer to a large metal square pan/lug (depth of head cheese was about 2 inches in pan). Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours to congeal. Cut in blocks and seal in a vacuum bag for freshness. Keep refrigerated, do not freeze. Eat sliced on saline crackers. Great as an appetizer along with beer or wine.

I have to apologize that I did not take a picture of the head cheese while mixing or of the finished product. I will try to add pictures next time I make it.