Hungarian pork jelly
All European kitchens make pork jelly, a classic cold dish that gets its distinct “jelly” texture from the congealed juice that contains gelatin. The less noble, fatty, cartilaginous and bony parts of the pig (head, tail, skin, feet) are cooked with vegetables and spices in slightly salted water at 95 °C. Meanwhile, the collagen that serves as gelatin’s building block dissolves. When it is done, the meat is placed on plates, the defatted juice is poured over it. They are cooled in a cold environment until they gel and solidify. It can be prepared with fish or veal.
The story of pork jelly
In France, the earliest documented recipe for jelly-making was preserved: the oldest recipe book in Europe, attributed to Guillaume Tirel and published in 1395, already has a recipe for fish jelly. Ferenc Nádasdy, the Hungarian land agent mentions sturgeon jelly in one of the account books in 1544, which is the earliest known written account of jelly in Hungarian history.
Jellies from other countries
Sulze, Sülze: gastronomic specialties from Germany and Austria, also known as gesulzt, or “gelatinized” food.
Pihtija: Slovenians, Serbs, and Croats also enjoy jellied pork. They season according to the particular traditions of the people in question.
Œufs en gelée: The texture of gelatinized foods was dubbed “jelly” by the French. They also have everything made from the pig’s tail and ears in their country kitchens.
P’tcha: The jelly of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, which mainly uses chicken skin, bones, and legs as gelling material.
Korean jellies: A variety of jelly-like dishes are prepared in Korean cuisine. Csokphjon is a dish made from beef leg, tendons, and skin that is cooked until it becomes thick and gelatinous, then it is molded and cooled before being sliced.
Benefits of Consuming Pork jelly
There are some foods and ingredients that contain a lot of collagen.
These include chicken feet, jelly, pigs ears and tails, ham-knuckle skin, and particularly pig’s feet. There is a lot of collagen in these foods. We can significantly improve our health by consuming them. Although the aforementioned ingredients are not cooked in Western societies… These priceless foods and ingredients frequently end up in the trash.
What is collagen?
The foundation of the body is collagen, which can be thought of as a network of body tissue. The basic framework of the body is provided by this incredibly flexible tissue. The body is flexible and has strong bones and joints thanks to the collagen network that it forms. In contrast to other beauty products, collagen is essential for maintaining good physical health. Without it, the bones are too weak, the joints are rigid, and the skin gets really wrinkled. Up until the age of 40, the body can produce this in sufficient amounts. The body stops producing collagen after the age of 40, so it is crucial to consume collagen to give the aging body the nutrients it requires.
Ingredients of pork jelly:
- 4,4 lbs (2 kg) pork parts (trotters, ears, tails, skin)
- 2,2 lbs (1 kg) meaty pork shank
- 3-4 medium carrots
- 1 parsley root
- 1 head of brown onion
- 1 head of garlic
- 30-40 peppercorns
- salt to taste
- 3 liters (12 cups) water
Steps:
- Place all the pork parts and the shank in a large pot with the whole onion, garlic, spices and cutted vegetables.
- Pour in water and cook over a very low heat for 5-6 hours. Cook until all parts are soft. In the meantime, the collagen will separate from the bones and skins of the pork. Sometimes skim off most of the foam. Finally, carefully strain the stock and remove the fat from the surface with a spoon.
- Place pieces of carrot and meat (or skin to taste) on soup plates and cover with the hot “soup”.
- Place the plates in the fridge or in a cold place and leave to cool overnight. The liquid soup will set by morning. Enjoy your pork jelly with a fresh slice of bread!
Watch our video about pork jelly recipe: