How to prepare headcheese, a Czech classic
Taking a stand for quality meat
Headcheese ("tlačenka" in Czech) makes use of all parts of the pig that contain collagen, including the skin and trotters, meaning nothing goes to waste. Thanks to the high collagen content, the finished product acquires a firm, gelatinous consistency that binds with the lean meat and the more marbled pieces.
the pork is simmered in a single pot, after which part of it is eaten, and other nice pieces of meat and offal are diced and mixed with the broth that formed in the pot, along with the boiled skins, which hold the headcheese together once cooled.
Spices and other ingredients are added according to region and custom. While still hot, with a consistency resembling thick soup, the mixture is stuffed into pork stomachs, beef intestines, or, these days, plastic containers, in which it is then cooked and left to cool. As it cools, it must be turned so that the pieces of meat settle evenly throughout.
The Czech term “tlačenka” is inspired by German, where the word “Presswurst” means “pressed sausage.” The first tlačenkas were stuffed into pig stomachs. After cooking, these stomachs “wrinkle” — they no longer retain their smooth oval shape and develop folds. Air could get into these folds during stuffing, causing the contents to spoil. So, after cooking, the stomach was pierced a few times with a needle, and weighed down with a plank and a stone allowing any air to escape.
Headcheese tastes best when brought to room temperature, served with onions and a splash of vinegar alongside bread and beer. It's a dish that cools you down in the summer and warms you up in the winter!
Tip: At Naše maso and Lokál, they sprinkle finely chopped onion over slices of headcheese. They then pour a mixture of vinegar and water (in a 1:1 ratio) over the slice. And the delicacy is ready to serve!
Headcheese recipe:
10 kg of ready-made brawn // Preparation: 4 hours + cooling overnight
- 2 half pork heads
- 3 kg pork shoulder
- 4 kg pork jowl
- 2 kg pork heart
- 2 kg pork tongue
- pork skin 3 kg (or 4 kg of trotters)
Spices for the pot:
- 2 onions
- allspice (whole) 8 berries
- bay leaves 4
- 18 whole peppercorns
- 50 g salt
Spices for the brawn:
- salt 200 g
- pepper (ground) 20 g
- marjoram 50 g
- allspice (ground) 18 g
- fresh garlic 120 g
- casings
TIP: For the casing, you can use either a specifically-designed plastic casing, beef tripe or pork stomach. You can get these from a butcher, who will also prepare them properly for you.
- Cut the pork shoulder and jowls into pieces the same size as the heart. Scrape (or singe) the bristles off the head and skin/feet. Rinse everything in warm water before cooking — especially the shoulder and jowls, as well as the head and skin/feet. Rinse the tongue and heart twice.
- Fill a pot halfway with water, add the onion, salt, and spices (tie them in a small cloth bag). Place both halves of the head bone-side down and bring to a boil.
- Add the heart and tongue, then the jowl, and finally the shoulder. Top off with water as needed so that everything remains just below the surface at all times. Simmer gently for 1.5 hours, skimming off the foam as you go — the meat should be cooked through but not soft or falling apart!
- Once the meat is done, remove it and set aside — separating the boneless meat from the heads. Strain the broth, bring it back to a boil, and add the skins and feet to cook. Stir a few times at the beginning to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. Cook until tender.
- Meanwhile, clean the cooked meat. Remove the heads, cut out the ear canals, and peel the skin from the ears. Scrape the “skin” off the tongues and remove the epiglottis; cut off any remaining arteries from the heart.
- Cut the leaner meat from the shoulder and head into 3x3 cm cubes. Cut the fattier meat from the head, cheeks, heart, and tongue into 1.5x1.5 cm cubes.
- If you’re cooking the feet, thoroughly remove all the small bones. It’s easier with the skin — just grind it finely (3 mm).
- Strain the broth, return 2 litres to the pot, and bring to a boil. Add salt and the seasonings for brawn (you can grind fresh garlic together with the skins) and the ground, cooked skins. Reduce the heat and stir for a moment. Then remove the pot from the heat completely.
- Add all the chopped meat and mix thoroughly. The resulting consistency should resemble a thick potato stew. The mixture will be saltier and spicier, but once cooked, the headcheese will be just right.
- Fill the casings with the mixture. It’s best to do this with two people, with one holding the casing and the other pouring in the mixture. Stir the mixture in the pot again after each pour.
- The casings must not be packed too tightly, so they don’t burst during cooking. After filling, tie the casings securely (sew them if using tripe) and rinse them in warm water.
- Place the headcheese in a large pot of hot water (just below boiling point), making sure they are not crowded together or stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook them at a temperature of 70–85 °C for about 2 hours (depending on their size and the casing used).
- Once cooked, carefully remove them, briefly submerge them in cold water, and place them on a mat. Turn them over a few times to mix the contents, and use a needle to prick any air bubbles (these will be clearly visible in the bag and the container, usually near the ends of the headcheese. Place the headcheeses on a flat surface in a cool place.
- Turn them upside down three times (every 15 minutes). For those stuffed into pork stomachs, weigh them down (press them) so that the stomach straightens out and there are no creases. This is not necessary for those made in plastic casings. Let them cool overnight.
- Slice the finished headcheese and serve with vinegar, onions, and bread.
