Brawn

Going through a pile of old papers I discovered in her faltering handwriting Mum’s recipe for pig’s head brawn. I’ve never made it. But here it is if anyone wants to try it. Unfortunately I don’t have her recipe for passionfruit flummery, another one of my favourites. I did make it. That’s probably why the recipe wasn’t in that pile.

Brawn
Ingredients
1 pig’s head cut in half length ways
1 uncooked pork hock if you can get it or a few pig’s trotters.
1 tablespoon golden syrup
half a packet of whole cloves
6 chillies
3 heaped teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Preparation
Boil all for 3 hours just covered with water.
Then separate the meat from the bones, fat and skin.
Cut the meat into small pieces
Put the pieces into a smaller pot and strain just enough liquid to cover the pieces
Taste and add more salt and pepper if required
Hen boil for half an hour or so
Pour into cups or bowls
When cold (or lukewarm) leave overnight in fridge (Do not deep freeze).
Dispose of bones, skin and fat.

Do not put too much water in when you first boil it otherwise you have trouble setting it.
Near the outside of the cheeks you will find some white meat in long strips. Just cut them up. Also the dark meat from around the eye sockets.