Serves 6-8 | 6½ – 7 hours cooking | 15 mins preparation | Overnight in fridge

While we cook with the heart sometimes we have to use the head, or to be more precise a pigs head in this case.

With crispy ears and meaty snout and cheeks a pigs head provides a variety of taste’s and textures. Think crispy pork belly, pork scratchings and pulled pork all at the same time.

While this recipe is presented here as Filipino it is also a recipe found in British medieval cooking and you will find in Victorian recipe books.

If you really want a traditional Christmas dinner, then before we cooked goose and turkey we would be looking forward to carving the brawn made from a pigs head for Christmas dinner

Ingredients

• 1 Pigs head
• 1 Cup vinegar (cane or white)
• 2tbsp Salt
• 1tbsp Pepper
• 1tbsp Garlic powder
• 1tbsp Five spice powder

Method

1. Clean, the pigs head, wash and shave or pluck any hairs
2. Place the pigs head in a bowl and pour over the vinegar while massaging the vinegar into the meat
3. Rub the salt, pepper, garlic powder and five spice onto the head
4. Place the head in the fridge uncovered to chill and dry the skin overnight (or atleast for two hours)
5. Remove from the fridge and pat with paper towels to ensure it is completely dry.
6. Place on a rack over a roasting tin and place in a pre heated oven at 80c for about 3½ hours
7. Increase the temperature to 160c and continue cooking for a further 1½-2 hours until the meat is cooked through and browned
8. Increase the temperature to 220c and cook for a further 45 minutes until the skin is golden and crunchy
9. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing

Notes

If the ears or snout start to burn at stage 8 then wrap them with tin foil for prevent burning