Homemade Brawn (Headcheese) – Two Aspic Methods
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In this post I show you how you can make brawn (headcheese) yourself. It is super tasty and honestly not difficult to make.
There are many versions of brawn. Here I show you two ways to make a simple meat brawn: cook pork trotters and hocks to make your own aspic, which sets naturally as it cools, or use gelatin. If you prefer not to cook your own aspic, I recommend Bloom 240 aspic powder. Both methods are described below.
But now enough chatter …
Here you can find the complete brawn recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it! I would be happy if you leave me a comment if you succeeded.
Table of Contents
Brawn – What do you need to make it?
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Grams | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients for about 2.5 l aspic | ||
| water | 2,500 ml | |
| pig's trotters | 1,250 g | |
| pork hocks | 1,250 g | |
| vinegar | 250 ml | |
Spices
| Ingredient | Grams |
|---|---|
| onion | 100 g |
| salt | 50 g |
| black pepper | 5.5 g |
| allspice | 1.25 g |
| juniper berries | 0.75 g |
| bay leaves | 0.5 g |
| cloves | 0.15 g |
Important: I tend not to be the “sour type”. Therefore, you may need to season my recipe with a little more vinegar if Brawn needs to be sour for you.
The equipment to make Brawn
Casserole dish
In order to make your brawn, you will need a mold in which the brawn can cool.
Method 1: Make brawn with homemade aspic
Wash the pork hocks and trotters in cold water, removing all impurities.
Then put them in a large enough pot with the salt and spices.
Add the water. Choose a pot large enough for the hocks and trotters to be completely submerged.
Let the water now come to a boil. If something foamy or similar forms on the surface, then skim it off with a ladle. Afterwards, you can let it simmer for 3 hours on low-medium heat with the lid closed.
After 3 hours your aspic is ready. The meat should also be cooked by now. Take it out of the pot and let it cool for further processing.
Pass the cooked aspic through a sieve. This will filter out any bone fragments and the cooked spices.
Either separate the fat with a fat separator, or remove it from the surface once the mixture has cooled. Taste the aspic and add vinegar or salt if it is too bland.
Once the hocks have cooled a little, separate the meat from the bones.
Cut the meat into pieces of your preferred size, or use two forks to pull it into finer strands.
Put the meat evenly into a form and add the still warm aspic. You can give free rein to your creativity here. Of course you can also add other ingredients. Onions, carrots or even cucumbers are excellent here.
Now your meat aspic must cool down completely.
Your Brawn is ready😄. Enjoy it.
Method 2: Make brawn with gelatin
This version is quicker and easier. Household gelatin works in theory, but it has less setting strength, so you would need a large amount. I recommend Bloom 240 aspic powder.
- Put all the spices, water and vinegar in a pot and bring to a boil.
- If you also want to cook meat, add it now and simmer over low to medium heat for about 1 hour until tender. Pork belly and shoulder work well.
- Once the meat is cooked, or the stock has steeped for at least 20 minutes, strain through a sieve lined with kitchen paper.
- Add aspic powder to the strained stock, following the package instructions for your preferred firmness. If it does not dissolve fully, reheat without boiling.
- Finish seasoning with vinegar and salt. It should taste too sour and salty while warm so it still has a strong flavor when cold.
Frequently asked questions
How long does brawn keep?
How long does brawn keep?
It keeps for about 3–4 days in the fridge. Freezing doesn’t work well: the aspic loses its bind on thawing and falls apart. Preserving it in jars is an alternative.
What is brawn?
What is brawn?
Brawn is a traditional German dish made with gelatin or aspic powder and meat stock. Seasonings and additions vary, including vegetables, meat or fish. The aspic sets them into a firm mixture, served alongside a main dish or as a cold snack.
Which meat can I use?
Which meat can I use?
Almost any meat works. Classic choices include cooked pork hock, pork belly or leftover roast. Try pork knuckle in a jar too.
How much vinegar should I use?
How much vinegar should I use?
It is entirely a matter of taste. Depending on how sour you like it, I recommend between 10 % and 20 %.
More brawn and aspic recipes
Pork Aspic Recipe
Make sauerfleisch yourself
Make your own pork knuckle brawn
Pork roast in aspic
A perfect way to use leftover roast: combine it with aspic for a hearty brawn, simply and quickly. Pork roast in aspic recipe.
Sauerfleisch
The northern German version with plenty of vinegar and pickles: refreshingly tart and perfect on bread. Sauerfleisch recipe.
Pork-knuckle brawn
Cured pork knuckle, homemade aspic and plenty of flavor. Pork-knuckle brawn recipe.
More variations to try:
Thank you so much for your Brawn Recipe. I have quite a few Vintage Cook Books, but none of them have a Brawn Recipe in them – rather disappointing.
Anyway, I am basically not the World's best Cook, so I'm looking forward to other Recipes that you might have "in your Stash"
Warmest Regards;
Zoey 🙂
I am making a braun for Xmas, Ingrediants half a pigs head , a pork collar and onions. My wife used to set the braun with a purchased ingrediant. I want to know what it was.. it makes the braun set.
ive been making brawn for many years and never used any type of setting agent
you just lay your cooked meat in the tray, making sure you've finely chopped some pork fat in the mixture
then pour you juice over the meat in dish to the same level of yr mixture
ive been making brawn for many years and never used any type of setting agent
you just lay your cooked meat in the tray, making sure you've finely chopped some pork fat in the mixture
then pour you juice over the meat in dish to the same level of yr mixture
w
hat do you do with the pork skin/rind once you have removed the meat on making brawn.
It will be wonderfull to have these recipes
I have just purchased a piece of beef brawn –\
(1). Can I put portion in my freezer
(2) how long would it keep in my fridge
Regards Ian Clucas