Headcheese--Who likes it?

My folks butchered every fall and did not waste anything. I preferred the homemade mince meat to head cheese. I remember the morning after we butchered a hog we had fried tenderloin, biscuits and what my dad called redeye gravy.
Today I am the family meat smoker and usually receive free beef tongues which I slow smoke in my backyard pit. I put a rub on the whole tongue and let set overnight. When the meat is done the muscle slips out of the outer rind and taste somewhat like smoked spam. Some do not care for the smoked tongue if they know what it is before eating.
 
I like head cheese a lot, souse not so much. I dice it up in a bowl with malt vinegar and have an awesome snack. With fresh thin sliced onions is also good.
 
What's that cold cut with chunks of meat and gelatin holding it together? We sliced it up.

In a real Jewish deli don't forget the large dill pickles in the barrel.
 
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I know enough about it to know that it isn't cheese.

Sweetbread is another one of terms that has nothing to do with what it is. Probably named such so as to trick children into eating it.

Worked in several slaughter houses years ago. Haven't seen Sweetbreads mentioned in forever. Nothing better than tie a string on them cook them in the lard kettle while rendering lard. pull em out then a little salt and pepper.
 
I loved Sling Blade when Lucas Black and Billy Bob discussed ingredients of potted meat.But still good!
 
I think I’m starting to understand the problem.

This is slightly simplified, but basically, I went and looked of a bunch of old-country recipes for this and they all started with brisket, pork belly, pork shoulder, ham, chicken meat, and other civilized meat cuts.

Then I looked at American recipes and they started with “Boil a pig’s head”.

I think this may be a case of the name being taken too literally. :)

To give you an idea how my grandma made it (based on a kid’s memory and still eating ready-made versions when I visit):

Cube a variety of cooked meats, roast, bacon, hot dogs, ham (how fat or lean it turns out is up to you). Then cube veggies like cooked carrots, mushrooms, onions, and pickles. Plus hard-boiled egg. Mix all together in a bowl and then stuff it into a loaf pan. Mix meat broth with vinegar, spices and gelatin and add. Let firm up in fridge, and it’s ready for slicing.
 
Far as I'm concerned, cured and smoked, sliced and fried, hog jowl is the absolute cream of the crop as far as bacon is concerned. And it's much better than plain salt pork for seasoning beans and a lot of other stuff, like turnip greens! Worked in a meat market back in the early 60's and once in a while, the manager would buy a couple of large boxes full of the hog jowls and run a sale on 'em. We sold them like hotcakes, and most folks wanted them sliced up via the rotary slicer we had in the market. By the end of the day, that slicer was so greasy you had to be on your toes to keep your fingers and thumb from getting sliced. Took and hour to clean that sucker up at the end of the day! But fried crisp, mmmmm! Nothin' much beats it!
 
Greens, taters and Hawg jaws over corn bread, it's what's for
supper. Soon as one of the chains starts serving it, will go to
$12.99 a serving and all the yuppies will be eating it. In those
places along the interstate that have washboards nailed on their
walls.
 
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