Schweinesülze is one of those traditional preparations that demonstrates just how much can be achieved with a relatively inexpensive cut of pork and very little specialised equipment.
At its heart, Sülze is cooked meat suspended in a savoury, lightly acidic jelly. Similar preparations can be found throughout Germany and neighbouring countries under names such as Sülze, Presssack, Presskopf, brawn and head cheese, although the ingredients and preparation vary considerably from region to region.
For this version, we are keeping things particularly practical for the home kitchen.
Instead of using a pig's head or filling the finished mixture into a large casing, we are using a skin-on pork knuckle and an ordinary loaf tin.
The pork knuckle is ideal because the skin, connective tissue and bones release a considerable amount of collagen during the long, gentle cooking process. Once the cooking liquid is strained and reduced, that collagen can often provide everything we need to produce a firm natural aspic.
That gives us an important lesson before we even begin:
Don't automatically add gelatin to Sülze. First find out whether the pork has already provided enough natural gelatin of its own.
Dieter's Tip: Don't throw away that pork-knuckle cooking liquid and immediately reach for commercial gelatin. Strain the stock, reduce it and chill a spoonful first. Pork knuckle is naturally rich in collagen, and you may already have all the gelatin you need. The goal is a Sülze that slices cleanly but still feels tender on the plate — not pork trapped inside a block of rubbery jelly.
