Pork head cheese, known as “queso de cabeza de chancho” in Chile, is a dish rooted in the rural traditions of the country, where every part of the food is valued and utilized to its fullest.
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How to make Chilean Pork Head Cheese?
Typically enjoyed at breakfast, pork head cheese is a nourishing and hearty meal, perfect alongside a crisp marraqueta (a type of bread) and delicious pebre (Chilean salsa).
Nutritional Information
Category: Appetizers
Cuisine: Chilean
Calories: 300
Preparation: 12 hours
Cooking: 60 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Chilean Pork Head Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cooked pig’s feet
- 1 cooked pig’s head
- 1 cooked pig’s ham
- 250 g of Chilean chili sauce
- 4 cups of broth from cooking the head
- 3 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup of white wine
- 1 cup of white wine vinegar
- Cumin
- Salt
- Pepper
Preparation
- In a large pot, place the pig’s head, feet, and ham already cooked in water with bay leaves and a cup of wine. Boil and cook everything for about ten minutes. Drain and reserve.
- Remove the ears, skin, cheek meat, and tongue from the head, trying to include as little fat as possible.
- Gather all the chopped meats in the pot, season with chili sauce, oregano, white vinegar, ground garlic, cumin, pepper, and salt.
- Add the seasoned, chopped meats back into the pot along with the 4 cups of broth. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes from when it starts boiling.
- Pour the preparation onto a cheesecloth and let it drain for a few minutes, then place the cheesecloth with the head cheese into a plastic or metal mold, pressing and compacting it to prevent separation when unmolding.
- Cool the head cheese to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
- To unmold, briefly place the mold in hot water for a few moments and remove the cloth, transferring the formed head cheese to an appropriate dish.
Origin of Pork Head Cheese
Pork head cheese is a peasant dish that originated in the Middle Ages and is now prepared in many countries with numerous variations.
Did you know?
In Chile, specifically, queso de cabeza is produced and consumed mainly in the central and southern regions of the country.
