Zure zult, also known as just
zult,
hoodkaas of
kopkaas, or
head cheese in English, is a traditional meat product form the south of the Netherlands,
specifically Brabant. While it's not as popular as it used to be, you can still get it at the
local
butcher. It's mainly eaten on
bread, in thick slices.
It seems that everyone has his own way of making this culinary delight. The common theme is a
pig's head, whole, and vinegar. I'll give a default recipe, from 1:
Take a whole pig's head and boil it in water with a little salt for 2 hours, and then add two
kilos of pork and boil it for another 3 hours. Which pork you should use is not clear, but I've
seen heart, tongue, liver, and legs (With or without the hooves, I don't know)
suggested. The meat should be very tender now, and it should be easy to remove the bones.
Grind the meat, and add some of the water used for the cooking to get a nice, smooth, creamy
mass. Now, things like pickles, a bit of sugar, lemon, nutmeg, salt and pepper can be
added, to taste, I suppose. It is important to add vinegar, for taste, but mainly for
conservation. Put the mixture in -preferably ceramic- bowls, which are rinsed with cold water.
Put paper over it, with a small tear in the middle. Add so much vinegar there is a little layer
on top of the mixture. Put it in the refrigerator to let it solidify. It's best after at least
four days of waiting, and shouldn't spoil for six weeks, provided you keep vinegar on top at all
times.
Zure zult with rye bread are traditionally served at funerals in the South, although I've
never actually seen it happen, so I suppose the tradition has more or less died. I have had it
offered to me at normal lunches though.
As for the taste, I have no idea. I have no intention of finding out, either. If someone has
tried this, please /msg me. Zuur means acid in Dutch, and that and the vinegar suggest it
may taste acidic. It does not have a discernable odor. It looks like a lightgrayish mass.
With this node, and the links below here, it should be able to make your own traditional zure
zult, the way it is made in my native Noord-Brabant. Or, it might give a hint about the meat
products you could be offered when you visit the Netherlands. If the thought of eating horse
meat or organ meat makes you uneasy, be sure to check the meat served with your host, as they
are common in Dutch cuisine.
Sources:
- http://www.ruudverdonck.nl/archief/COMP01006.html
- http://www.receptenzoeker.nl/toonrecept/?link=99856
- http://www.farm-world.net/recepten/32.html