Calf head
- Thread starter Cinisajoy
- Start date
Well now! I don't think its at all easy to find! Not unless you live near a good butcher who will have to order it for you. I've never seen them for sale. I'm not saying you can't get them but it certainly wouldn't be easy.
I'm assuming you mean the actual head.
BOILED CALF'S HEAD (with the Skin on).
Ingredients
Calf's head,
boiling water,
bread crumbs,
1 large bunch of parsley,
butter,
white pepper and salt to taste,
4 tablespoonfuls of melted butter,
1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice,
2 or 3 grains of cayenne.
Mode
Put the head into boiling water, and let it remain by the side of the fire for 3 or 4 minutes;
take it out, hold it by the ear, and with the back of a knife, scrape off the hair (should it not come off easily, dip the head again into boiling water). When perfectly clean, take the eyes out, cut off the ears, and remove the brain, which soak for an hour in warm water. Put the head into hot water to soak for a few minutes, to make it look white, and then have ready a stewpan, into which lay the head;
cover it with cold water, and bring it gradually to boil. Remove the scum, and add a little salt, which assists to throw it up. Simmer it very gently from 2-½ to 3 hours, and when nearly done, boil the brains for ¼ hour;
skin and chop them, not too finely, and add a tablespoonful of minced parsley which has been previously scalded. Season with pepper and salt, and stir the brains, parsley, &c., into about 4 tablespoonfuls of melted butter;
add the lemon-juice and cayenne, and keep these hot by the side of the fire. Take up the head, cut out the tongue, skin it, put it on a small dish with the brains round it; sprinkle over the head a few bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley;
brown these before the fire, and serve with a tureen of parsley and butter, and either boiled bacon, ham, or pickled pork as an accompaniment.
Time. - 2-½ to 3 hours.
Average cost, according to the season, from 3s. to 7s. 6d.
Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons.
Harder get hold off now since the use of the brain in cooking has been limited due to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy(BSE), Chronic Wasting Disease(CWD) in the USA.
BOILED CALF'S HEAD (with the Skin on).
Ingredients
Calf's head,
boiling water,
bread crumbs,
1 large bunch of parsley,
butter,
white pepper and salt to taste,
4 tablespoonfuls of melted butter,
1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice,
2 or 3 grains of cayenne.
Mode
Put the head into boiling water, and let it remain by the side of the fire for 3 or 4 minutes;
take it out, hold it by the ear, and with the back of a knife, scrape off the hair (should it not come off easily, dip the head again into boiling water). When perfectly clean, take the eyes out, cut off the ears, and remove the brain, which soak for an hour in warm water. Put the head into hot water to soak for a few minutes, to make it look white, and then have ready a stewpan, into which lay the head;
cover it with cold water, and bring it gradually to boil. Remove the scum, and add a little salt, which assists to throw it up. Simmer it very gently from 2-½ to 3 hours, and when nearly done, boil the brains for ¼ hour;
skin and chop them, not too finely, and add a tablespoonful of minced parsley which has been previously scalded. Season with pepper and salt, and stir the brains, parsley, &c., into about 4 tablespoonfuls of melted butter;
add the lemon-juice and cayenne, and keep these hot by the side of the fire. Take up the head, cut out the tongue, skin it, put it on a small dish with the brains round it; sprinkle over the head a few bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley;
brown these before the fire, and serve with a tureen of parsley and butter, and either boiled bacon, ham, or pickled pork as an accompaniment.
Time. - 2-½ to 3 hours.
Average cost, according to the season, from 3s. to 7s. 6d.
Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons.
Harder get hold off now since the use of the brain in cooking has been limited due to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy(BSE), Chronic Wasting Disease(CWD) in the USA.
For the head, as a whole £50 and up
Calfs head with brain sauce anyone?
From an old fashioned cookery book from 1962.
Here is how you cook the above.
1.split the head down the centre
2.wash and remove the brains
3.put it in pan of cold water and bring to the boil
4.remove any scum! Lovely!
5.simmer for 3 hours then take out the meat and chop it neatly.
9.Cut the tongue into neat fingers and add to the cooked meat when serving....bleughhhh
For the brain sauce.
1.soak the brain in coldwater and vinegar or lemon juice. This will whiten it.
2.simmer for 15 minutes, strain chop and add to the white sauce.
3.arrange the meat from the head onto a hot dish, pour over the brain sauce and garnish with snippets of crisp toast.
From an old fashioned cookery book from 1962.
Here is how you cook the above.
1.split the head down the centre
2.wash and remove the brains
3.put it in pan of cold water and bring to the boil
4.remove any scum! Lovely!
5.simmer for 3 hours then take out the meat and chop it neatly.
9.Cut the tongue into neat fingers and add to the cooked meat when serving....bleughhhh
For the brain sauce.
1.soak the brain in coldwater and vinegar or lemon juice. This will whiten it.
2.simmer for 15 minutes, strain chop and add to the white sauce.
3.arrange the meat from the head onto a hot dish, pour over the brain sauce and garnish with snippets of crisp toast.
I'm surprised a head would be that expensive. I thought they were either disposed of or made into dog food. What usually happens to them? And who is paying £50 a piece...?
Not many, however they've to separate it from the food chain. And it's a delicacy for some. Which never come cheap, or they'd not be a delicacy!
Meat entering the pet food chain has more checks made on it than meat entering into the human food chain.
Meat entering the pet food chain has more checks made on it than meat entering into the human food chain.
Its crazy really - stuff that was poor man's food is now rich man's food!
That'd be around £120 in today's money! Never cheap.
That first recipe is from the 1860's. You wanted to see a recipe from a book.
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Oh - that book. Excellent. I love to see old recipes.
Still think £120, lower end, is cheap then?Oh - that book. Excellent. I love to see old recipes.
epicuric
Legendary Member
I spend time in Cyprus where whole sheep heads are to be found on most butchers counters. Not having the knowledge or means to cook them I have never enquired into their cost, but being so common I can't imagine them being expensive. It is also quite normal to find whole piglets vac packed in the meat freezers!
epicuric
Legendary Member
Are we talking Mrs. Beeton here?Oh - that book. Excellent. I love to see old recipes.
GadgetGuy
(Formerly Shermie)
Sorry, but..... The only thing that I've eaten in there is the tongue! Other than that...... 
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May well be one she's done. Was she around 150 years ago?
This is normal size font on here
This is print size in the book