Mixed Head Cheese (Chicken Breast & Pork Loin)

Ingredients

• 700 g — pork loin
• 600 g — chicken breast
• 20 g — gelatine
• 10 tbsp (150ml) — water
• 200 ml — clear chicken stock
• 4 cloves (20g) — garlic
• 1 pinch — black pepper
• 1 level tsp (5g) — table salt
• 10 g — sweet paprika
• 1 pinch — dried thyme
• 1 pinch — allspice

Preparation

Preparing the filling

I boiled the meat for about 30 minutes in approximately 1–1.5 litres of water with 2 bay leaves, a teaspoon of salt, and a few peppercorns. Once the meat was cooked, I removed it from the heat and prepared a well-seasoned garlic broth (blended — I don't like detecting pieces of crushed garlic, but you can use a whisk or fork) from about 200 ml of the cooking liquid and spices to taste. I then drained the meat from the cooking liquid and cut it into rough cubes. I hydrated 20 g of gelatine according to the packet instructions, then added it to the warm seasoned broth and poured the broth over the meat, stirring gently a few times from bottom to top. I set the filling aside and prepared the natural casing.

Preparing the natural casing

While the meat was boiling, I took care of the natural casing — as it was the first time I had prepared this type of head cheese, I was not very familiar with the steps involved. But with patience and curiosity I got to work, drawing on childhood memories of watching my grandmother prepare this dish. I soaked the pork stomach in warm water for about 5 minutes, then cleaned its interior with my fingertips, taking care not to tear it. I then soaked it in vinegar for about 10–15 minutes. Once the filling was ready, I stuffed the casing and sewed it up firmly with a needle and thread. I prepared a pot with about 2 litres of water and brought it to heat on the stove; when it was almost boiling, I carefully lowered the head cheese into the water. I boiled it for about 30–40 minutes over low heat; then I lifted it out with a spatula onto a chopping board and placed another chopping board on top along with 2 weights (2 bags of rice) to press it.

Alternative method

Cut a 1.5-litre water bottle in half, place a plastic bag inside the bottle, and pour in the filling prepared as described above. The next day — or even after a few hours (check that the head cheese has set) — remove it from the bottle by gently pulling the edges of the bag, which can also serve as a storage container in the fridge; if it won't come out, cut the bottle with scissors. Enjoy!

Recipe in pictures

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