Yet More About Head Cheese

A loyal reader (and former law clerk of my firm) sent a recipe in, commenting that “a man who eats head cheese twice in one weekend needed to have it.”  It’s from A Taste of First Sunday: A Collection of Recipes by Antioch Cumberland Church 2994 Antioch Church Road Reform, AL, a 2008 spiral bound cookbook that I’m going to have to seek out.  Also on the page were recipes for Souse Meat (very similar to the one below except adds ears, feet, and sage) and Poke Sallet (which needs some scallions, slab bacon, a couple of sliced hard boiled eggs), both from Mrs. Hughes.

This should provide anyone who’s thinking “is he really talking about what I think he’s talking about?” with an answer.

Antioch, which is between Reform and Coalfire Alabama northeast of Columbus,  has its homecoming the first Sunday in June, and will have some Gospel bluegrass there this year.  Here’s the recipe:

Head Cheese

Phyllis Spain Hughes

In memory of Eddie P H. Huff

5 lbs. head meat                                                                              3 tsp. red pepper

3 c. head meat broth                                                                        2 tsp. cloves

5 tsp. salt                                                                                        3 tsp. allspice

3 tsp. black pepper

Clean the head of a hog thoroughly.  Remove the eyes and brains.  In Eddie Huff’s hous the brains woul dhave been scambled in eggs the day after the “hog killin”.  Split the head and boil untikl meat comes off the skull.  Grind the meat finely. PLease ground meat into a large pan an dmix in all seasoning.  Pack the micgture into loaf pans and ocver with a flour sack and weight it down.  Store in icebox overnight.

Note: Some cooks in the South liked to can their head cheeses by packing it in jars, covering with a vinegar solution and seeing them.  My Paw Huff actually taught me to like this.