Homemade brawn - step-by-step cooking recipes

Seltz is a German dish, and the word is German. Means a cold meat dish such as jelly, prepared in the form of sausage. The brawn is prepared from meat, offal, fish with the addition of lard. Different countries have their own variations of brawn: this is the well-known jelly, jellied meat, and saltison. Gelatin is rarely added, since there are enough well-gelled components. Different spices are used in cooking, but all recipes are characterized by steep salting.

What products are needed to prepare brawn?

Depending on which recipe you will use for preparing brawn or saltison, the choice of ingredients will be extensive and varied. The main products you need are: pork head, pork knuckles, liver, tongue, you can also add poultry meat. For layering, it would be nice to have red bell pepper, pickled cucumber, carrot, etc.

If you do not cook the brawn in molds under pressure, then you can stuff the finished mass into the stomach or large intestines. To flavor the finished snack you will need garlic, bay leaves, white roots, and bay leaves. Salt and pepper to add flavor. It is better to buy a pig's head at the market, it is singed and smells like straw, and it is fresh, which is better to look for!

How long to cook a pork head for brawn, and when to salt it?

Adviсe:

Cooking time for pork head for brawn is at least 5 hours
Cooking time for beef head for brawn is at least 6 hours
Cooking time for chicken meat for brawn is at least 1 hour
Cooking time for liver for brawn is at least 1 hour
Cooking time for brawn shanks: at least 3 hours

TIP: The brawn should be salted only barely 1 hour before the dish is ready, so that it turns out tasty and rich.

Preparation of raw materials for the preparation of brawn or saltison

The pork head needs to be cut into several parts, the skin from the outside should be scraped off so that there is no hair. Trim off excess fat and soak in cold water for several hours to remove blood residue. Then add hot water and set to cook. You will have a question, why do we fill it with hot water a second time? Done correctly, so that the water-soluble, complete proteins remain in the meat itself, then the result will be a very tasty brawn.

If you have to use the stomach or large intestines, then they need to be turned inside out, rinsed, cleaned, rinsed again, salted and set aside for later stuffing. The remaining meat products are also cut into pieces, washed and added to a pan of water depending on the cooking time.

Classic recipe

Pork head brawn at home turns out incredibly appetizing and very filling. The shelf life of the product is approximately 7 days. If too much brawn has been produced, then it is recommended to freeze it. However, such a product will be less tasty than fresh.

Composition of ingredients

List of ingredients needed to make pork head brawn at home:

pork head – 3 kg;
onion – 75 g;
table salt, ground pepper and peas - at your discretion;
garlic – 5 cloves.

If more than 3 kg of pork heads are used, then the volume of marinade must be doubled. If the pieces of offal are large enough, it is advisable to cut them into smaller ones so that they fit in the pan.

Step-by-step cooking process

The process of making brawn from a pig's head with your own hands consists of the following steps:

Pieces of pork head need to be soaked in cold water for 3 hours, changing the water as it turns red. If there is copious bleeding, then soaking is necessary for 4 – 4.5 hours.
From soaked pieces of the head it is necessary to remove dirt, remaining blood on the surface, remove remaining tar, nearby blood vessels and eyes.
The pieces should be placed in the pan so that there is as little free space between the pieces as possible. Next, you need to fill the contents of the pan with water so that the pieces of the head are completely submerged.
The pan must be placed on the fire and brought to a boil, periodically removing the resulting foam. You need to cook the pork head for 2 hours, not allowing the water to boil too much, as the pork should just simmer.
Next, add pepper, onion and salt to the pan, boiling the mixture for another 2 hours. At the end of the time, the meat should fall away from the bones.
The meat must be carefully removed from the broth and placed on a plate to cool further. Then the meat and lard should be separated from the bones, removing blood vessels and bloody areas.
The pulp should be cut into small pieces.
You will need to add pepper, salt and chopped garlic to the meat, mixing everything thoroughly.
A piece of gauze, folded in half, must be laid out on the work surface. On one side of the gauze you need to lay out the pieces of meat in an even layer.
Afterwards, you need to wrap the head in gauze, place the roll on a board at an angle, set the pressure and leave it in this position to cool for 3 hours.

Pork head brawn

Next, the brawn needs to be put in the refrigerator, leaving the oppression, but on the board without tilting. The roll should be kept in this position for about 8 hours or all night.

What can I add?

You can add liver or liver to the snack. This will make the dish much more nutritious and satisfying. You can also use additional carrots. This will improve the taste and aroma of the finished treat.

How to serve a dish

It is recommended to serve the finished dish sliced, adding a slice of rye bread, as well as horseradish or mustard. You can prepare a fresh vegetable salad as a side dish.

How to cook homemade brawn

Components:

pork head – 3.5 kilograms;
small onions – 3 pieces;
carrot – 1/2 root vegetable;
salt, pepper and garlic - to your taste.

Cooking homemade brawn

Pour the prepared pieces from the pork head with hot water and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, then drain everything and fill with a new portion of water - this is done so that later the broth is lighter. Cook over low heat until the meat comes off the bone easily. During cooking, add salt, baked whole onions or carrots cut into quarters and pieces. In this case, the finished product will be more aromatic and have a caramel tint.

Remove the finished meat from the broth, cool slightly and remove bones and small seeds. Then chop, add spices and seasonings to taste, mix everything well. Strain the broth through cheesecloth folded in two layers. Take a convenient dish with low sides, add cellophane, minced meat, pour a little broth on top, lightly press it all over with a fork and cover the top with the edges of the cellophane.

Let it cool completely, then put it in the refrigerator. As soon as it hardens, you can take out the bag, put a load on top and put it back in a cold place. The brawn will become even, thinner and more beautiful in appearance.

In cling film with gelatin

Pork head brawn cooked in cling film with the addition of gelatin is aromatic, appetizing and much more nutritious, unlike regular sausage. At home, it is permissible to use not only cling film, but also a baking sleeve, as well as a piece of gauze.

Composition of ingredients

To prepare brawn in cling film at home, you will need the following ingredients:

allspice peas - 1 tsp;
gelatin - at your discretion;
laurel leaf – 4 pcs.;
table salt, pepper - at your discretion;
pork head – 1 pc.;
pork meat – 1 kg;
garlic cloves – 100 g.

It is permissible to replace the pork head with 2 shanks. The taste won't change much. In addition to pork meat, you can also use beef.

Step-by-step cooking process

The step-by-step process of making a culinary masterpiece with your own hands consists of the following points:

The pig's head must be cleaned of dirt, any remaining blood removed and washed thoroughly in water.
The prepared head will need to be chopped into pieces, the eyes removed and placed in a pan. The mass must be covered with water and left in this position for 40 minutes.
Next, the water must be drained, the meat must be rinsed again and filled with clean water again. You need to do this procedure 2-3 times so that the blood is completely gone.
Clean pieces of the head should be placed in a container in which the saltison will be cooked and put on fire.
The contents should be simmered over low heat for about 1 hour, removing any foam that appears throughout the entire time.
After the time has passed, salt the saltison and cook the broth for another 2 hours.
The laurel leaf with peppercorns must be placed in the decoction for 10 minutes. until cooking is complete.
Next, you need to remove the meat, cool it and filter the broth.
Add gelatin and chopped garlic cloves to the strained broth and bring the contents to a boil.
The meat should be separated from the bones, cut with cartilage into small pieces, add salt, pepper and mix.

Place pieces of ears and meat on a plastic bag or cling film, and pour cooled broth on top. The bag must be tied tightly and placed in the refrigerator under pressure.

How to serve a dish

The finished brawn can be served as a snack or with a side dish in the form of pickled onions.

Seltz for the New Year

Not only the Slavic people love to prepare such a snack, but they are also adored in Scandinavian countries, although brawn is called differently, but the basic preparation is almost similar. The required ingredients should be rutabaga, which makes the broth aromatic and sweetish, juniper berries, which saturate the meat with a light aroma, and honey! Every housewife has her own cooking secrets, but I will tell you how we cook in my family.

Components:

pork leg with skin (sometimes called a stump) - 2.5 kilograms;
rutabaga - 1 piece;
carrots - two pieces;
juniper berries – 12 pieces;
juniper sprigs – 3 sprigs;
cloves - 5 buds;
peppercorns – 1 tablespoon;
dill stems - optional;
garlic - five cloves;
onions – 2 onions;
bay leaf – 2 leaves;
honey – 1 tablespoon;
dry gelatin – 2 tablespoons;
salt - according to preference.

Preparation

So, first of all, we wash the pork leg and thoroughly clean the skin with a knife, then lightly dry it with a paper towel and rub it with honey. Leave to soak for 20 minutes, and then lower into a saucepan with a thick bottom, fill with water and bring to a boil. Add salt during cooking. Carefully skim off all the foam and, if necessary, strain the broth through cheesecloth.

Add rutabaga, carrots, onions and all other ingredients cut into pieces to the broth. Cook the leg over medium heat for hours. We prepare the dishes, it can be a bowl or a plastic container.

Next, separate the layer of delicate, steamed skin and place it on the bottom of the mold. Cut the meat from the bone into pieces of different sizes and place in a deep bowl, sprinkle with dry gelatin. Mix by hand so that the gelatin is evenly distributed. Place the meat on the skin layer, alternating it with two or three layers of skin. The top layer should be leather.

As soon as the mold is completely filled, cover it with a convenient lid or wooden board and place a very heavy weight on it; the mass should be under pressure for about 12-14 hours, ideally 24 hours. It is better if the form with meat is kept at room temperature for the first 10 hours. The pressed meat is perfectly cut and is traditionally served with horseradish sauce, mustard or sour cream and dill mixture, etc.

With liver

Homemade pork head brawn, prepared in addition to the liver, turns out incredibly tasty, aromatic and nutritious. The shelf life of the finished treat is approximately 5 days. After the specified period of time, it is recommended to freeze the dish. When defrosted, the product can be lightly fried.

Composition of ingredients

Ingredients required to make liver brawn at home:

Component name	Required amount
Onion	150 g
Liver	1 PC.
Pig head	½ part
Pork stomach	1 PC.
Heart	1 PC.
Smalets	2 tsp.
Salt	10 g
Pepper	5 g
Garlic cloves	6 pcs.

Absolutely any liver can be used. Suitable for both chicken, pork and beef. However, chicken offal, unlike the rest, is much more tender and softer.

Step-by-step cooking process

The step-by-step process of making a delicious treat consists of the following steps:

The stomach must be rinsed under running cold water, the entrails, mucus and the film on which it collects must be removed. Afterwards, you need to rinse again with water and leave the semi-finished product for 1 hour in acidified and salted water.
The pork head needs to be divided into several parts and each one thoroughly processed, washed and removed any remaining dirt.
It is necessary to soak parts of the head for 4 hours, changing the water 3-4 times during the entire period.
Place the soaked meat in a container, cover with cold liquid and add a few peppercorns, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves and one peeled onion.
The contents will need to be brought to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to a minimum, boiling the broth with the lid open until the meat comes away from the bones freely. Usually about 3 hours is enough.
After half the cooking time has passed, add salt to the broth.
Next, you need to cool the head along with the broth, leaving the container in the cold overnight.
To remove bitterness, the liver should be soaked for about 30 minutes, and the heart should be cut in half.
The offal must be covered with cold liquid, brought to a boil and boiled for 40 minutes, adding salt.
After removing the meat, fat and skin from the head, you need to cut the semi-finished product into small cubes. You also need to chop the liver and heart.
You need to add pressed garlic, pepper to the mixture of meat products and mix everything.
The pork stomach must be stuffed with the resulting mixture and the hole sewn up.
Place the stuffed stomach in a large saucepan, cover with boiled liquid and bring to a boil. The semi-finished product should be cooked for 30 minutes.
After the time has passed, the stomach should be removed from the broth and placed on a baking sheet, previously greased with lard.
Place a baking sheet in a cold oven and preheat the oven to 180 ℃.

The brawn should be kept in the oven for 30 minutes, periodically piercing it with a needle to release steam.

How to serve a dish

When serving, it is recommended to cut the finished snack into portions. The product is best consumed with a slice of bread, supplemented with mustard. You can also serve a vegetable salad or just fresh vegetables.

To make this treat, it’s a good idea to know some useful tips:

To create this snack, a pork head is used. To completely remove all hair, it must be singed.
It is best to cook the head for a long time, namely 6 hours. This time will be enough for the meat to move away from the bone.
It is recommended to cut off the skin, as it is tough and can spoil the taste of the delicacy.
To give the brawn a rich aroma, it is imperative to use different seasonings and herbs.
Pork stomachs are best suited for filling. But if they are unavailable, plastic bags or bottles will do.
You should also know that when cooking a pig's head, the eyeballs, which contain a liquid that gives bitterness, heat up. To avoid this, the eyes should simply be removed before cooking.
To remove the smell, it is recommended to sprinkle the brawn shell with corn grits.
In order for the brawn to hold its shape, you need to pour a gelling agent into it.

To prevent pork head brawn prepared at home from crumbling during slicing, it is recommended to place it under pressure.

Liver and chicken brawn

This brawn is not difficult to prepare, but is incredibly tasty!

Ingredients:

beef liver – 300 grams;
fresh lard – 150 grams;
chicken pulp – 400 grams;
gelatin – 1 tablespoon;
vegetable oil – 1/2 tablespoon.
salt, garlic and pepper - according to your preference

Cooking brawn from liver and chicken

Meat set of products: cut beef liver, lard and chicken fillet into medium-sized pieces, salt, pepper, sprinkle with chopped and lightly fried garlic. It is also recommended to add dry gelatin powder. Place the mixture in a double plastic bag or sleeve, tie it and place it in a pan with cold water.

Pierce the bags with a thin needle in several places. The water should completely cover the contents. Cook for 4 hours. Then take out the bag, loosen it from the ties, put it on gauze, folded in half, tie it, put the weight on it and put it in the refrigerator. To prevent the brawn from becoming airy, it is better to wrap it in food paper.

The meat appetizer is ready. When slicing, different colored products look beautiful. For contrast, you can also add raw carrot cubes to the minced meat.

Liver brawn

A delicious dish that can be prepared for a holiday table or just for breakfast sandwiches.

Required components:

200 g lard;
1/2 cup each of milk and semolina;
Half a kilo of beef or pork liver;
2 onions;
0.5 small spoon of coriander;
2 eggs;
Pepper, salt - to taste.

Cooking instructions:

We twist the liver using a meat grinder (we soak the pork first). Add milk, stir;
Add lard, cut into small pieces, chopped onions, eggs;
Add semolina, add salt, pepper, add coriander. Mix well, leave for 35-40 minutes;
We cut off one side of the baking sleeve and fix the other. Pour minced beef or pork liver into the sleeve and secure the other side tightly;
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees and place the workpiece there for 20 minutes. When this time has elapsed, reduce the temperature to 180 degrees and bake for another half hour;

Leave the finished liver brawn in the sleeve so that it cools completely. Then we remove the product from the cut sleeve, put it in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator for 1.5-2 hours. Cut into pieces before serving.

Homemade brawn with added semolina

This is a budget appetizer, but at the same time it is not difficult to prepare and tasty. This includes the simplest products that are available and always in the refrigerator of every housewife.

Components: