HungryForever

BRAWN

You can use the pig’s ears to make the Sorrel, Chicory and Crispy Ear Salad, which is an ideal accompaniment. If not, remove them before you start to make the brawn.

Servings

Ingredients

1 pig’s headrinsed thoroughly
4 pig’s trotters
2 onionspeeled
2 carrotspeeled
2 leekscleaned
2 stalks of celery
2 whole heads of garlic
Zest of 2 lemons
a healthy splash of red wine vinegar
a bundle of fresh herbs
2 bay leaves
in a scant handful of black peppercornstied upmuslin or you will be picking them out of the cooked meat forever
Sea Salt

Instructions

Place the head and trotters into a large pot, cover with water, and add all the other ingredients except salt. As soon as you have brought it up to the boil, reduce to a very gentle simmer, skimming as you go.
If using, extract the ears after about 1 hour, rinse them and dry them carefully. When you can feel the cheek starting to come away from the bone (this should take about 2½ hours), remove everything from the liquor and discard the vegetables. Return the liquor to the heat to reduce by about half, then season with salt, remembering this is served cold, which subdues flavors. While still warm, pick through the trotters and pig’s head retrieving the flesh, especially peeling the tongue. The snout is neither fat nor meat; do not be discouraged, it is delicious in your brawn.
Line your terrine with plastic wrap and fill with the retrieved meats. Cover with enough of the reduced liquor just to cover, slamming the mold on the kitchen table to shake out any air bubbles. Leave to set overnight in the fridge, and before serving, remove it in good time to acclimatize without being so warm it is soft and sweaty. Serve with a sorrel, chicory and crispy ear salad.