Zalatina (Pork Aspic)

• Pork head, trotters, ears, and meat
• Water
• Whole black peppercorns
• 1 Bitter orange (Nerantzi)
• 1 Lemon
• Salt
• Fresh rosemary (Larmari)
• Hot red pepper

For the broth

• 10 cups aspic broth
• 1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup fresh bitter orange juice
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• Extra salt if needed

1. Wash and scrub the heads and trotters very well with water and lemon to clean them thoroughly. Place them in a pot with salt, 1 lemon and 1 bitter orange (cut in half), whole black peppercorns, and enough water to cover them. Cook over low to medium heat for at least 2 hours or until you see that the meat is cooked and the broth/water has reduced significantly.
2. Remove the cooked pieces of meat from the pot, separate the meat from the fat, and cut the ears into small pieces. The meat should come off the bones easily; this is how you know it is cooked properly.
3. Next, prepare the broth using the ratio written above. Place the meat in small containers and add the broth. On top of each container, place 1 sprig of rosemary and a small hot red pepper. Let it cool and place it in the refrigerator. If made correctly, our aspic (Zalatina) will keep for a long time in the fridge.