pork legs

Aspic or meat jelly is a food made from meat or fish, where the broth is gelled by gelatin or collagen boiled from bones and tendons. Aspic has been mentioned in recipe books since the early Middle Ages.

Pork aspic is a classical Estonian national dish. From 2018, it was included in the list of Estonia’s intangible cultural heritage. Aspic has been very important on the Estonian food table at various big anniversaries.

Our family typically made an aspic for Christmas. The recipe I am describing here comes from my grandmother and mother. My mother still makes aspic like this. Until now, my job has been to cut the meat, it has been the only responsibility entrusted to me.

Preparation time: 4-5 hours plus overnight setting
Level: Average
Quantity: 5-6L of aspic

Ingredients:
2-3 pig legs
1-2 pig shanks
Half a chicken or 4 chicken legs
About 500g of pork loin
4-5L of water
2 larger onions, peel removed to the last layer
3-4 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
for seasoning salt

Preparation:
1. Soak the meat for a couple of hours in cold water and clean the pg shanks and pork legs
2. Place the pieces of meat in a large saucepan, pour over the water so that the meat is completely covered with water. Bring to the boil. Remove the foam from the surface using a scoop of foam
3. Peel the onions so that the last layer remains. Too much onion peel makes the broth brownish. Add the onions to the broth, add the bay leaves and black peppercorns. Season with salt and simmer on very low heat for about 4 hours.
4. When the meat is done and so soft that it falls off the bones, let it cool down a bit, carefully lift the meat onto a large plate and cut it into pieces of the desired size. We have made aspic in such a way that we have cut the rind of the flesh into the aspic, but we have removed the fat under it and used it, for example, to make Christmas cabbage.
5. Once the meat has been cut, the broth must be carefully poured through a tight sieve so that the soggy part at the bottom of the broth does not come with it.
Pour the meat back into the drained broth and bring to a boil and divide into bowls.
Ready !!