Appetizer📍 All of RomaniaDifficult🌾 Gluten-free🥛 Dairy-free🥩 Low-carb / Keto💪 High-protein

Homemade Head Cheese

Name: Homemade Head Cheese
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Romanian
Ingredients: 1 kg meat from pork head (ears, cheeks); 500 g pork tongue; 500 g pork heart; 500 g pork kidneys; 250 g pork rind; 1 cleaned pork stomach (or thick casing); 1 tbsp salt; 1 tsp ground pepper; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp ground allspice; 1 tsp ground coriander; 5–6 crushed garlic cloves

Tobă is a traditional Romanian cold cut made from boiled pork meat and offal, chopped and bound with natural gelatin, then stuffed into a pork stomach and simmered again.

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Servings

⏱️

Prep

90 min

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Cook

2h 30 min

⏰

Total

16-28 ore (boil offal 1.5-2h, simmer tobă 1-1.5h, press 12-24h)

🥘Ingredients

servings

📝Preparation steps 🗓️Add to Meal Planner🎨Serving & Presentation

✅Dietary Compatibility

🌾Gluten-free🥛Dairy-free🥩Low-carb / Keto💪High-protein

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Yield

1 tobă approx. 2 kg (for 12-16 servings)

📦Storage

❄️

Refrigerator

Keeps for 7-10 days refrigerated. Serve cold.

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Freezer

Can be frozen for 2-3 months, but may lose some texture.

🥗Nutrition Facts

Values per slice (approx. 100 g)

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Calories

250 kcal

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Protein

18 g

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Fat

20 g

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Carbohydrates

1 g

🌾

Fiber

0 g

🍷Pairs Well With

🥂Hot mustard or horseradish

🥂Red onion and pickles

🥂Plum brandy or red wine

🥂Homemade bread or flatbread

💡Variations

Smoked: dry for 24h and cold smoke for 2 days.

In casings: replace stomach with thick casings.

Spicy: add hot red pepper for heat.

🎪Events Celebrating This Dish

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Artisan Food Market