18 September 2011

Gio Thu - Vietnamese head cheese

My wife grew up eating Gio Thu - Vietnamese head cheese, and none of my efforts to make a European-style head cheese have especially won her over.  Our friends across the street threw a big party last week and they served a roasted pig.  Luckily, some of their friends are vegetarian, and they didn't want the pig to look too pig-like, so they removed the head and gave it to me!  My wife showed me a post on The Ravenous Couple and said their Gio Thu looked like the kind she used to eat.  The recipe was certainly clear and straight forward, so I decided to give it a go.  My ingredients were slightly different, mainly because I used a whole head and no hocks.  Heads take longer for the meat to get tender, so I removed the ears when they were done and let the head simmer a little longer. I found an old coffee can and lined it with a big ziploc bag, and added enough weight on the top to press it down. 
This evening we ate it for dinner, along with rice, swiss chard, and an omelette.  I think it's the best tasting (and best looking) head cheese I've made yet.