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Classic jelly

Classic Meat Aspic (Kholodets)

The finest, most delicious appetizer for a holiday table! Classic kholodets is a traditional Eastern European jellied-meat dish for any special occasion. You can make it in a slow cooker, which is the easiest, hands-off way. All you need is a pork knuckle or pork feet, and some time.

Julia M.

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pork knuckle

1.5

Pork

Onion

Carrot

Water

2.5

Bay leaf

Garlic

Peppercorns

Salt

Dried spices

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 43 % 9 g

Fats 52 % 11 g

Carbohydrates 5 % 1 g

137 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make classic kholodets? Gather your ingredients. Classic aspic is made with pork feet or knuckle, since those are rich in collagen that releases into the broth as it cooks and sets it into a jelly. Choose a pork knuckle that fits in your pot. Pick whatever dried spices you like. Trim the meat of anything you don't want and rinse it.
Step 2:

Cover the knuckle and meat with cold water and let them sit for 4 to 5 hours.
Step 3:

Then drain off all the soaking water.
Step 4:

Wash the carrot. Peel it and the onion and put them in the cooking pot whole, uncut. Add the bay leaf, salt, spices to taste, and peppercorns.
Step 5:

Add the prepared meat and knuckle to the pot, also left whole.
Step 6:

Pour in cold water until everything is fully submerged. You can cook the aspic in a pot on the stove or in a slow cooker; either way it's a long process. I chose the slow cooker because you don't have to babysit it. Set it to the "Stew" setting for about 6 hours and cover. Keep an eye on the water level and top up with hot water as needed, going by how your particular slow cooker behaves.
Step 7:

If you're cooking the aspic on the stovetop, first simmer the meat alone, without the vegetables or spices, over the lowest possible heat, uncovered, for at least 3 to 4 hours. Then add the vegetables and spices and cook another hour. When it's done, fish out all the meat, let it cool slightly, and pull it off the bones. Strain the broth.
Step 8:

Arrange the meat in the containers you'll use to set the aspic.
Step 9:

Ladle the broth over the meat. Add a little minced garlic to each container. Refrigerate the aspic for several hours until it's set firm.
Step 10:

Serve the aspic cold with mustard. Enjoy!

In the old days, traditional aspic was made from a whole pig's head and feet. At home today it's hard to find a pot big enough for a whole head, so we'll stick to the feet, here a pork knuckle. It gives a rich, collagen-heavy broth that lets the aspic set. When you pour in the broth, you can add some sliced carrot to the containers as a serving touch, it looks bright and pretty. You can also use any meat you like, pork, beef, chicken, or turkey.
To keep onions from stinging your eyes, rinse the onion and the knife in cold water before cutting. Your cutting board won't pick up the onion smell if you rub it with a piece of lemon first.
Keep in mind that the cooking times and settings here are approximate. Every slow cooker runs differently, and even identical models from the same brand can have their quirks. Read your appliance's manual, get a feel for it with familiar dishes first, then dial in the time and setting for new ones.
For the best flavor, use filtered or bottled water with a neutral taste. Tap water can sometimes give the dish an off, characteristic flavor.