Hog Head Cheese (Souse) Sandwich

After hog butchering, nothing went to waste — including the head. Head cheese (called ‘souse’ in Appalachia) is a terrine made from the meat of a hog’s head, set in its own natural gelatin. Sliced thick and placed on bread with mustard, it was a prized cold lunch. The flavor is rich, porky, and faintly tangy from the vinegar used in preparation. A November tradition after the first cold snap.

Ingredients

• 1 hog’s head, cleaned and split (or 2 lbs pork trotters + 1 lb pork jowl as substitute)
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• Salt to taste
• Sage and thyme to taste
• Thick-sliced bread and yellow mustard for serving

Directions

1. Scrub the head thoroughly. Soak in cold salted water overnight to draw out blood. Rinse.
2. Place in a large pot. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, skimming foam.
3. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and red pepper. Reduce to a simmer.
4. Cook 3–4 hours until all meat is falling from the bones.
5. Remove head. Let cool slightly. Pick all meat from the bones — ears, cheeks, snout, tongue. Nothing wasted.
6. Strain the cooking liquid. Return 2 cups of it to a pot.
7. Chop or shred the meat finely. Return to the pot with reserved liquid.
8. Add vinegar, sage, thyme, and salt to taste. Adjust seasoning — it should be savory and faintly tangy.
9. Pour into loaf pans or small crocks. Press down firmly to remove air pockets.
10. Refrigerate until completely solid (several hours). The natural gelatin will set everything firmly.
11. Slice thick and serve on bread with yellow mustard.

Notes

Hog head cheese season was November after the first hard freeze — cold weather was needed for hog butchering and for the souse to set. Every mountain family had their own recipe, often with different spice ratios. Store-bought head cheese from a butcher counter works for anyone not butchering their own hogs.