I Make Head Cheese -- Part 10
Channel: slobomotion
Date: 11/12/2013

Digital video recording, comments and annotations copyright 2013 Lisa B. Falour, B.S., M.B.A.
cutecatfaith.com
Dailymotion:  LisaFalour
YouTube:  SLOBOMOTION, CUTECATFAITH

This did come out very fine and mild and I can see why some people like it with heavy vinegar and hot spice, but I can also see why this mild version is so handy.  After my initial panic about what to do with all the head cheese, I realized it will freeze.  I've frozen a huge one already, the biggest one pretty much, and the smaller bits can be frozen in individual chunks to add to vegetables, rice, pasta, other soups, et c.  I always made my own stocks with roasted bones and did roast the pig skull -- I don't know how the stock will turn out.  It makes an excellent base.  You can even just boil it and cook spaghetti or beans or lentils, quinoa, whatever, in it and that will boost it a lot.

I understand more now what's in a burger or hot dog, a slice of lunch meat.  I firmly believe everyone ought to hunt, kill and process an animal or fish and cook it, all the way, at least once.  It teaches us the beauty of the animal.  I heard from someone who hunts pheasant in the USA not too long ago and he just rips out the breasts and discards all the rest, including the beautiful feathers, which have a high resale value.  I was disgusted to think of this man just stomping on a fine bird and leaving most of it.  Sheesh.  

I touched and tasted all the meat, skin, everything.  Only a very little had to be discarded from this pig head.  The "pig glue" took awhile to cook down by two thirds.  I think I could give 30 adults a nice small dish with some bread today if I had to.  Just from this one pig head.  I will try to find out if any of my neighbors eat pork and would trust a neighborly concoction.  Otherwise, this stuff is already chilled and can be frozen and will be added to many dishes.  I'm very interested in learning mincemeat with meat, and this might be a good base for it, with raisins and apples and such, and quatre épices.  

Please understand, I have a full-Slovenian mother and had a nearly-full Pennsy Dutch father.  I grew up watching relatives make their own soap, keep Swiss cows, mules and bantam chickens and roosters, and I learned to make candles as a girl, pickles, a lot of stuff.  As an adult I learned the craft of tatting which my father wanted me to follow him in.  He was a lace artist!  People used to do that in their spare time and some lace would be a "hello" gift when you went calling.  I can only do simple trims but they are so useful -- they hide a frayed edge or prevent them and are very original and pretty.  I use a single needle method and it is very portable.

Thanks for watching!  Please rate.