31 - Brawn and meat jellies

Abstract

The terms “brawn” and “meat jelly” are used interchangeably, but they are two different products. Brawn is a good way of using the low-value parts of a pig, such as the head, skin, shank, tongue, and heart, to obtain flavorsome and nutritious meat products. The production of brawn in small factories and restaurants uses traditional methods. The raw materials are typically the collagen-rich parts of the pig, such as the head, shank, and skin. These are cooked for a long time and the naturally occurring gelatin produced during the cooking process holds the mass together when it is cold. Brawn produced in this way does not need added gelatin and traditionally does not contain added nitrite. Large-scale production of brawn uses the same raw materials but they are cured, precooked, and handled separately, with gelatin solution being added later in the production process. Another difference between the two methods is that traditional brawn is not usually reheated once it is set, whereas brawn produced on a large scale is commonly cooked for a second time after the mixed mass has been filled into waterproof casings. Meat jellies are sometimes referred to as brawn but are not based on the same raw materials. Meat jellies are mostly made using lean cured or uncured pieces of meat, such as chicken breast or cooked ham made from pork or beef. The meat is usually cut into cubes of various sizes and mixed with a gelatin solution before being filled into waterproof casings or moulds. Meat jellies do not normally contain any visible fat or minced pork skin and are typically sold as a high-quality product because they are very low in fat. Both brawn and meat jelly are eaten cold.