Tlačenka: Slovak pork head cheese with garlic

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Simmer the hocks and pork shoulder

   Place the hocks and pork shoulder in a large pot, cover with the cold water, and add 1 tsp of the measured salt, the bay leaves, allspice, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.

2. Add the vegetables

   Add the peeled onion, carrot, and parsley root. Simmer for another hour, until the meat falls off the bones and the skin is completely soft.

3. Remove the meat from the bones

   Remove the hocks and pork shoulder and let cool slightly. Separate the meat and skin from the bones, discard the bones and cartilage, and cut the meat and skin into pieces about 1 cm in size.

4. Reduce the broth

   Strain the broth. Boil 500 ml of it over high heat for 15 minutes to reduce it by half.

5. Season the mixture

   Mix the meat and skin with the crushed garlic, ground black pepper, and the remaining salt to taste. Pour in 250 ml of the hot reduced broth. The mixture should be moist but not soupy.

6. Chill until set

   Line a loaf pan about 25 cm long with plastic wrap. Pack the mixture into the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Weigh it down with a smaller pan filled with water and refrigerate for 8 hours to set.

7. Serve

   Turn the set head cheese out of the pan and cut into slices. Serve topped with sliced red onion and drizzled with vinegar.

Tip: To check ahead of time whether the head cheese will set, put a spoonful of the reduced broth on a small plate in the refrigerator. If it does not gel within 10 minutes, boil the broth a little longer.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Bravčová tlačenka z kolien s cesnakom a korením