Pig Head: Part Three

Finally, the face.

Now we're getting to the good part, though in all honesty the brain and ears were pretty darn good! But the face, that's what it's all about.

Unfortunately my pig head came without the tongue. What a huge disappointment that was! But I made do with what I had, and what I had was a whole pig face.

Sure, the obvious answer to what to do with a pig face would be head cheese, but I don't want to do the obvious. I want to do the yummy. And the yummy said "Roast it!"

Roasting a pig face is really easy. All you need is a big pan and some twine. And flavors. You need flavors.

Lay your pig face out, skin side down. Pick your spices and rub them into the flesh. Maybe a little cumin, or some thyme, salt, pepper, chili powder, or you could go with curry, or Cajun seasoning... whatever flavor appeals to you. Mince up some onions and garlic, and spread them over the inside of face too.

When you have all your spices and flavors on the meat, roll it up from one side to the other, and tie it with several pieces of twine. It'll look eerily like a pig face at that point. You can either cook it right away, or let it marinate in the refrigerator over night to infuse all the flavors, which I did.

When you're ready to cook the face, put it in a large baking dish, and coat it with a bit of extra fat. Lard is ideal for this, of course. You just want to moisten the skin a bit.

Bake at 350 degrees until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Baste or turn the pig face regularly to keep the skin from drying out. Dried skin is difficult to eat. I had a couple of spots that got a bit tough, but that's ok. I still found a use for it!

When your pig face reaches 165 degrees remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly. It'll be easier to slice the cooler it is.

Slice and serve with your favorite veggies. Admire the layers. Enjoy!