Does anybody know how to cook a hog head before pulling the meat for tamales?

Come on now. Surely someone's abuelita is willing to share her secrets.

EDIT: maybe try the food and drink board

I have three live hogs, so I guess I have three chances!

So you have the head, just need the recipe, or you need to find a head?

We used to make hog head sausage. We'd boil them for a few hours in a big kettle. Remove eyes and brains first. Scrape the junk that comes to the surface. Eventually just meat and bones in the bottom.

You could probably roast or use a smoker too

i am just guessing here, but pretty sure they just boil the piss out of it with a lot of spices and then scrape off any meat they can once its cooked.

Not sure why one would go to the trouble if its for tamales. Between the masa and salsa that will likely go with, there isn't enough filling to make an appreciable difference between hog head meat and using a shoulder or butt, just more effort in the filling prep. Respectfully, in my opinion.

carl spacklers hat said:

---

Not sure why one would go to the trouble if its for tamales. Between the masa and salsa that will likely go with, there isn't enough filling to make an appreciable difference between hog head meat and using a shoulder or butt, just more effort in the filling prep. Respectfully, in my opinion.

---

i can confirm this.....made 7 dozen tamales a few years ago and the with time and effort it took me i would have sold them for $30/dozen to make it worth my while......plus they were not very good.

Here's a recipe that's pretty authentic

https://www.mexicali-blue.com/how-to-make-a-hog-head-for-tamales/

carl spacklers hat said:

---

Not sure why one would go to the trouble if its for tamales. Between the masa and salsa that will likely go with, there isn't enough filling to make an appreciable difference between hog head meat and using a shoulder or butt, just more effort in the filling prep. Respectfully, in my opinion.

---

Because I have 3 hogs leftover from county fair. I wouldn't buy a head, I already have 3 of them still eating.

If that's the case then just slow simmer until everything falls apart. You can season the water with the usual suspects if you want to add flavor there or wait until you've cooked the head and pulled the meat then season as you would typical tamale filling.

At Frio Town we called a hogs head Christmas bonus.