Half Roasted Pig's Head Recipe

Prepare the head

If the pig's head is whole, ask your butcher to split it in half lengthwise (so you have two halves) and remove any excess brain matter if present. Rinse the head under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim any loose hair with a blowtorch or a razor if necessary.

Make the brine

In a large pot, combine 6 liters of water, kosher salt, brown sugar, black peppercorns, bay leaves, allspice, crushed garlic and thyme. Bring to a simmer, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Simmer for 5 minutes to bloom aromatics, then remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.

Cool and submerge

Add ice to the brine to bring it down to fridge temperature (aim for under 5°C). Place the pig's head (half) in a large nonreactive container and pour the cooled brine over it until fully submerged. Weight it down if needed. Refrigerate for 12–18 hours (overnight) to brine and season the meat and skin.

Prepare rub and glaze

Thirty minutes before roasting, remove the head from the brine, discard brine, and rinse under cold water. Pat very dry with paper towels. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, coarse sea salt and black pepper to make a paste. In a separate small bowl combine honey and apple cider vinegar for the glaze.

Apply rub

Place the pig's head skin-side up on a roasting tray fitted with a rack. Massage the spice paste evenly over the skin and exposed meat, taking care to get into crevices around the ears and jaw. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow rub to adhere and skin to dry slightly — this helps crisping.

Roast and baste

Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Roast the head skin-side up for 30 minutes at high heat to begin crisping the skin. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C (320°F) and continue roasting for 2–2.5 hours, uncovered, until internal temperature in the thickest meat (cheek) reaches 72–75°C and skin is well browned. Every 25–30 minutes during the lower-temp roast, brush the skin and exposed meat with the honey–vinegar glaze to build a glossy, caramelized finish. If any spots are charring too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

Finish crisping

If skin needs further crisping once internal temp is reached, increase oven to 240°C (465°F) or use a high broil for 4–8 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning. Remove when skin is deeply golden, blistered and crackling.

If using aromatics, stuff the cavity or place the quartered red onion, orange halves and rosemary sprigs around and under the head before roasting. These release fragrant steam and add subtle flavor to the meat. Remove any large aromatics before serving.

While the head is roasting, prepare the trimmings. Reheat or roast the potatoes until golden and crisp (approx. 45–60 minutes at 200°C if starting from raw). Warm the braised red cabbage gently on the stovetop. Place apple sauce, pickled gherkins, grain mustard and lemon wedges into serving dishes. Chop parsley and set aside for garnish.

When the head is done resting (see next section), carve and arrange on a large platter with roast potatoes, braised cabbage, apple sauce and pickles. Offer grain mustard and lemon wedges at the side.

Rest

Transfer the roasted head to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 20–30 minutes so juices redistribute and the meat becomes easier to carve.

Carve & garnish

Using a sharp chef's knife and a boning knife, separate halves if whole, then carve the cheeks, jowls, tongue (if present), and crisped skin (pork crackling) into serving portions. Arrange the meat and crackling on a platter. Sprinkle sea salt flakes and remaining freshly ground black pepper over the crackling and meat. Scatter chopped parsley for color and serve with lemon wedges, apple sauce, mustard and pickles.

Serve

Serve hot on a large platter for guests to help themselves. Note: This dish is pre-order only and best served same day as roasting. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 3 days and can be crisped in a hot oven before serving.