headcheese

American  

[hed-cheez] / ˈhɛdˌtʃiz /

noun

1. a seasoned loaf made of the head meat, sometimes including the tongue or brains, of a calf or pig and molded in the natural aspic of the head.

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headcheese British  

/ ˈhɛdˌtʃiːz /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): brawn.  a seasoned jellied loaf made from the head and sometimes the feet of a pig or calf

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Etymology

Origin of headcheese

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; head + cheese ¹

Example Sentences

It’s a trinity of pork; a Vietnamese version of mortadella, a headcheese or terrine of pig ear and snout, and the third meat is usually a ham, loin or barbecue pork.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 3, 2020

Like nose meat, headcheese is traditionally a food for elders.

From Washington Times • Feb. 4, 2017

Which means lots of dishes with lots of flavors, from a banh mi salad with headcheese to a short-rib pot pie with lemongrass.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2015

The guests chewed over that question on Friday night as they sampled the pig’s tongue slivers, the blinis with caviar, the headcheese and the smoked sardines.

From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2011

When it was cool it would cut in slices, and that was headcheese.

From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder