Ukrainian-style pork head brawn (zelts)
A tasty, hearty, budget-friendly appetizer made from next to nothing! You won't be able to stop eating it! I used to post a recipe for "head cheese in a pig's stomach," but a stomach is hard to find, and I don't always feel like fussing with it! Here's a simpler version of head cheese — also known as zelts, or brawn. Be sure to make it, especially since it's so cheap, and what a great appetizer it is to go with... well, you get the idea! Anyone who's tried it will appreciate it!
Cooking method
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Step 1:
Chop the pork head into pieces, wash it well, and soak it overnight. My husband helped me with this part :)
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Step 2:
In the morning, wash the pieces of the head well in several changes of water and clean them.
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Step 3:
Cover with cold water and set it to cook for 6 hours.
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Step 4:
But don't forget to skim off the foam.
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Step 5:
2 to 3 hours before the meat is done, add the onion, carrot, bay leaf, peppercorns, and allspice.
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Step 6:
Salt generously — you want it slightly oversalted so the cooked meat isn't bland.
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Step 7:
After 6 hours, the meat is done!
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Step 8:
Lift the cooked pieces of head out of the broth and leave them to cool. You can add boiled chicken to the broth for a wonderful lean aspic, or cook a rich borscht with it, for example.
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Step 9:
Separate the meat from the bones.
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Step 10:
Separate the meat and fat from the skin and cut them into medium pieces. The photo shows pieces of cooked meat, fat, and pig ear.
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Step 11:
Peel the garlic.
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Step 12:
Press it through a garlic press.
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Step 13:
Sprinkle with ground black pepper and mix.
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Step 14:
Spread it on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes.
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Step 15:
After 15 minutes, take it out and let it cool a little.
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Step 16:
To shape the zelts, I'll use a cut-off plastic bottle, and to make it easy to remove later, I line the inside with a plastic bag. You could use a milk carton or a special round ham-press mold — whatever works for you.
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Step 17:
Tamp it down well.
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Step 18:
Put it under a weight overnight.
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Step 19:
In the morning you can taste the finished zelts, or wait for your favorite friends to come over!
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Step 20:
Enjoy!
- I ended up with 1 kg of the finished product — a really, reeeally tasty one! Despite the long cooking time, it takes very little hands-on effort from you — the main thing is to be patient, and the result will exceed all expectations!
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Onion - 41 kcal/100g
- Carrots - 33 kcal/100g
- Dried carrots - 275 kcal/100g
- Boiled carrots - 25 kcal/100g
- Garlic - 143 kcal/100g
- Bay leaf - 313 kcal/100g
- Ground black pepper - 255 kcal/100g
- Black peppercorns - 255 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Allspice - 263 kcal/100g
- Pork head - 216 kcal/100g
