Collared Pig's Face is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic method of curing a boned pig's face in spiced brine before stuffing, cooking in stock, cooling and slicing. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Collared Pig's Face.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
The collared pig's face is also known as a 'Bath chap' and was a common breakfast meat in the Victorian period.
Original Recipe
COLLARED PIG'S FACE (a Breakfast or Luncheon Dish).
823. INGREDIENTS.—1 pig's face; salt. For brine, 1 gallon of spring water, 1 lb. of common salt, 1/2 handful of chopped juniper-berries, 6 bruised cloves, 2 bay-leaves, a few sprigs of thyme, basil, sage, 1/4 oz. of saltpetre. For forcemeat, 1/2 lb. of ham, 1/2 lb. bacon, 1 teaspoonful of mixed spices, pepper to taste, 1/4 lb. of lard, 1 tablespoonful of minced parsley, 6 young onions.
Mode.—Singe the head carefully, bone it without breaking the skin, and rub it well with salt. Make the brine by boiling the above ingredients for 1/4 hour, and letting it stand to cool. When cold, pour it over the head, and let it steep in this for 10 days, turning and rubbing it often. Then wipe, drain, and dry it. For the forcemeat, pound the ham and bacon very finely, and mix with these the remaining ingredients, taking care that the whole is thoroughly incorporated. Spread this equally over the head, roll it tightly in a cloth, and bind it securely with broad tape. Put it into a saucepan with a few meat trimmings, and cover it with stock; let it simmer gently for 4 hours, and be particular that it does not stop boiling the whole time. When quite tender, take it up, put it between 2 dishes with a heavy weight on the top, and when cold, remove the cloth and tape. It should be sent to table on a napkin, or garnished with a piece of deep white paper with a ruche at the top.
Time.—4 hours. Average cost, from 2s. to 2s. 6d.
Seasonable from October to March.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 whole pig's head
For the Brine:
4.5l water
450g salt
40g juniper berries, chopped
6 cloves, bruised
2 bayleaves
a few sprigs of thyme
a few sprigs of basil
6 sage leaves
0.5g saltpetre for every 1kg meat
For the Forcemeat:
225g ham
225g bacon
1 tsp mixed spice
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
225g lard, shredded
1 tbsp parsley, minced
6 shallots, minced
stock
Method:
Carefully singe the heat to remove any hairs then take out the eyes. Using a boning knife carefully pare away the skin and meat from the head, being careful not to nick the skin. Slit down the centre of the nose and lay the whole pig's face out flat.
Now combine the water, salt, juniper berries, cloves, bayleaves, thyme, basil, sage leaves and saltpetre in a pan. Bring to a boil, skim the surface and stir to dissolve. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
Once the brine is cold, place the pig's head, flat, in a non-reactive dish and pour over the brine. Cover with clingfilm and place in the refrigerator to steep for 10 says, turning and rubbing the meat at least every day. After this time, remove from the brine then wipe, drain and pat dry.
Mince together the ham and bacon for the forcemeat, then mix with the spice, black pepper, lard, parsley and shallots. Turn the pig's head so the inner surface is uppermost then spread the forcemeat evenly over the inside of the meat. Now roll the head up as tightly as you can, rolling it across the face, so the nose is in the middle. Cover with cheesecloth and wring this tight then bind the head tightly with butcher's twine.
Place in a pan along with any trimmings from the meat. Cover with stock, bring to a simmer then cover and cook gently for 4 hours. When completely tender, remove from the pot then place between two dishes and set a heavy weight on top to press. Set aside until completely cold.
When the meat is completely cold, remove the string and the cloth. Chill in the refrigerator then slice and serve either as a cold cut for breakfast, or as part of a cold lunch with pickles and salad.
