Pork Head

Pork head is a traditional ingredient used primarily in butcher and farmhouse cooking. It includes various cuts, cheeks, tongue, ears, jowl meat, and brain, each with distinct flavor characteristics. It is most commonly used to make head cheese (brawn), produced by boiling the head, picking the meat, and setting it in its own cooking liquid in a mold. Pork cheeks are a prized delicacy, well suited to slow braising or roasting. The ears are used in Asian cuisine and in traditional slaughterhouse specialties. Preparing pork head is time-consuming, but the result delivers very rich and full flavors.