So my new thing for January was to make  head cheese, definitely something I have never tried before and out of my comfort zone.

I purchased a piglet last summer and paid monthly for the farm to raise it, (pastured on non-GMO  Montana raised grains and fresh raw milk).  When it was time to butcher it, I got to choose my cuts, and as I am trying to be a nose to tail eater, I had them include the head.

Head cheese actually has nothing to do with cheese.  You basically boil the whole head,  pick  the meat off of it, reduce the broth, and pour it over the layered meat to make a pig head meat Jello, YUM right?  Check out the recipes for head cheese HERE and HERE.

Well I boiled the head, much to the complaining of my family and I picked the meat off, but as I pondered the head cheese, I realized I would be the only person eating it.  One can only eat so much head cheese.

The meat is actually quite tasty, so I decided to make some barbecue sauce and go a pulled pork route instead.  I continued to reduce the broth and made a homemade bouillon that I can use in sauces and soups.  I followed the recipe HERE for homemade bouillon.

So even if I didn’t actually make and eat the  head cheese, I did take the steps to do it and learned a few things along the way.  Here’s to trying new things!!!!

Homemade barbecue Sauce (a KLee original)

1 Can of organic tomato sauce ( I use Miur Glen)

1 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Braggs)

3 TBL Blackstrap Molasses

2 TBL Honey

1 TBL Dijon Mustard

2 tsp. Liquid smoke (optional)

1/2 TBL Onion Powder

1/2 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1-2 Pureed Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (just depends on how spicy you want it)

1. Place all ingredients into a non reactive sauce pan. mix well and bring to a boil
2. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is reduced by about 1/3 (so it is thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon).
3. Adjust your seasonings to taste
4.  Store in a glass container in the refrigerator. Enjoy!