Presskopf (also Pressköpf or Sülzköpf, literally ‘pressed head’) is the Alsatian head cheese — a cold terrine of slowly simmered pork head meat, trotters, and aromatics, set in its own natural gelatin and pressed into a compact, sliceable form. This preparation represents the nose-to-tail philosophy that has always defined Alsatian farmhouse cooking, transforming the most humble parts of the pig into a delicacy of surprising refinement. The preparation begins with a half pig’s head, split and cleaned (brain, eyes, and ears typically removed; the ear cartilage can be included for textural interest), along with 2 pig’s trotters for additional gelatin. These are first blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes and drained to remove impurities, then placed in a large pot with cold water to cover, a bottle of dry Riesling, a mirepoix of carrots, onions studded with cloves, celery, a generous bouquet garni (thyme, bay, parsley stems, a sprig of marjoram), juniper berries, and whole black peppercorns. The pot is brought to a bare simmer and maintained at this temperature (85-90°C, with occasional lazy bubbles) for 3-4 hours until all meat is falling from the bones. The liquid is strained through fine muslin and reduced by half if it doesn’t set firmly when chilled (test a tablespoon on a cold plate). All meat is picked from the bones by hand (tedious but essential), trimmed of cartilage unless you want the crunch, and diced into 1-2cm pieces. The diced meat is mixed with a generous amount of chopped cornichons, sliced shallots, and a splash of white wine vinegar, then packed into a terrine mould lined with cling film. The reduced, strained cooking liquor is poured over to just cover the meat, then the terrine is weighted (a piece of cardboard cut to fit, topped with tins) and refrigerated for 24 hours until firmly set. Unmoulded and sliced 1cm thick, the presskopf reveals a mosaic of pink meat suspended in amber jelly, studded with green cornichon flecks. It is served cold with a vinaigrette dressing, cornichons, pickled onions, and fresh bread.
Blanch head and trotters before simmering. Bare simmer (85-90°C) for 3-4 hours. Pick all meat by hand from bones. Mix with cornichons and shallots. Pack into mould, cover with reduced cooking liquor. Weight and refrigerate 24 hours. Serve cold with vinaigrette.
Test the jelly set by chilling a spoonful on a cold plate — it should set firmly within 5 minutes. If the jelly is too weak, dissolve 2 sheets of leaf gelatin per 500ml of liquor. A tablespoon of meat glace added to the strained liquor deepens flavour and guarantees firm set. The presskopf improves over 2-3 days as flavours meld.
Boiling instead of simmering, producing cloudy jelly. Not reducing the cooking liquor sufficiently for a firm set. Leaving cartilage and gristle in the picked meat (unless intentional). Insufficient seasoning — the meat needs more salt and vinegar than you think when served cold. Not weighting the terrine, producing a loose texture.
La Cuisine Alsacienne (Simone Morgenthaler)