Home Made Brawn

Well, if you're able to send your mind on a small holiday - the results of making Brawn yourself are outstanding.

Why do I say this? Well, it can be a little macabre - evidenced by the requirement to soak a couple of lamb's heads overnight.

If you can do it - I'd love to see your results.

Ingredients:

2 lamb's heads (one head = two portions)

About 3/4 lb stewing steak (nice and lean)

Small bunch parsley

Sprig of thyme or pinch dried herbs

2 bay leaves

Seasoning

Method:

Leave heads to soak overnight, and then wash them well - removing the skin and surplus fat from the meat.

Put the lamb's heads into a large saucepan.

Add seasoning, cover with water and simmer gently for an hour.

Remove the heads from the stock, and cut away all the meat from the heads, further cutting this into neat dice.

Add steak and return all the meat to the stock, togethr with the other ingredients and simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until the meat feels very tender.

Strain the stock off the meat and arrange the meat in a loaf tin. Make sure that the steak and various parts of heads are well mixed together - don't put all the pieces of diced tongues together in the same place, for example.

Boil the stock in an uncovered pan until about 1 1/2 cups are left.

Strain over the meat, and leave to set.

*Note - when buying a lamb's head, the butcher will usually split it in two for you. Take out the brains and trim from the head any bits of skin. Do this with a pair of scissors. Tie the brains in a piece of muslin, and add these during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

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