Hog Head Cheese

Place the cleaned, split pig head and skin-on boneless pork shoulder in a large 12L stockpot, then cover completely with cold water by 5cm. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, and boil uncovered for 10 minutes to draw out blood and impurities. Drain all cloudy water completely, then rinse the pork pieces and the interior of the stockpot thoroughly under cool running water to remove all traces of gray scum.

Return the rinsed pork to the clean pot. Tie the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, whole black peppercorns, and pickling spice in a 15cm square of cheesecloth to make a sealed spice sachet, then add to the pot along with the quartered yellow onions, celery chunks, halved garlic head, and 2 tablespoons (30g) of kosher salt. Pour in enough cold water to cover all ingredients by 2.5cm, then bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, maintaining a steady temperature of 93C / 200F (do not allow a rolling boil). Skim any thin scum from the broth surface every 30 minutes, and simmer for 3.5 hours total, until the meat pulls easily away from the skull bones with no resistance.

Once the pork is fully tender, use a pair of long tongs to transfer all meat and bones to a large rimmed baking sheet, and set aside to cool for 20 minutes, until cool enough to handle comfortably. Pour the remaining cooking broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth into a clean 4L pot, then discard the cooked vegetables and spent spice sachet. Pick all tender meat, soft skin, and gelatinous connective tissue from the skull and shoulder, discarding all hard bones, tough gristle, remaining glands, and thick hard fat. Chop the picked meat into rough 1cm pieces, and set aside.

Place the pot of strained broth over medium heat, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to exactly 950ml / 4 cups. Stir in the chopped pork, remaining 1 tablespoon (15g) kosher salt, cayenne pepper, apple cider vinegar, and chopped fresh parsley. Bring the mixture back to a gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to evenly distribute the seasonings. Taste the broth: it should taste slightly overseasoned, as the flavor will mellow significantly when the mixture chills and sets.

Ladle the hot meat and broth mixture evenly into two 23cm x 13cm (9x5 inch) loaf pans, pressing the meat down firmly with the back of a spoon to eliminate any trapped air pockets, and ensure the broth just covers the top of the meat. Allow the pans to cool to room temperature on the kitchen counter, approximately 1 hour, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Transfer the pans to the refrigerator, and chill for a minimum of 8 hours (or overnight) until the broth sets into a firm, sliceable jellied consistency.

When ready to serve, run a thin offset spatula or paring knife around the inner edge of each loaf pan to loosen the sides. Dip the bottom of each pan in a shallow dish of hot tap water for 10 seconds to melt the thin layer of jelly against the pan, then invert firmly onto a wooden cutting board. Slice the hog head cheese into uniform 6mm (1/4 inch) thick slices, and serve cold with crisp crackers, dill pickles, and spicy brown mustard, or use as a tangy cold cut for sandwiches.