Meat dishes
set meat jelly dish
living tradition
Pig's feet, pork knuckle, aspic, garlic, bay leaves, horseradish, cold table
Meat aspic, Košeliena
What is šaltiena?
Šaltiena is a set dish of meat and broth. It depends on long cooking and natural collagen from pork parts.
It is a practical way to use bony, gelatin-giving cuts and prepare a cold snack for several days.
Context of the pork table
In its overview of Lithuanian foods, the Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia emphasizes that peasants mostly ate pork among meats, slaughtered pigs before Christmas and Easter, and preserved and used the meat economically by salting and smoking.
Šaltiena fits that kitchen well: feet, skin, knuckle, and bones are not second-rate waste but parts that produce naturally setting broth.
For that reason, šaltiena often appears on the cold table beside horseradish, bread, boiled potatoes, or pickled vegetables. It is fatty, balanced by acidity, and easy to portion.
Why it sets
Pig's feet, skin, and knuckle contain collagen. During long cooking it moves into the broth, and when cooled it sets. According to the Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia, šaltiena is boiled from heads, ears, feet, and meat for 3-6 hours at 95-98 °C, then chopped meat is placed into strained broth and chilled so it sets without additional gelatin.
If only lean meat is used, šaltiena may remain liquid.
Recipe
How to make šaltiena
Šaltiena sets because of collagen, so it needs pig's feet, skin, pork knuckle, or other gelatin-giving parts. If there are too few of them, the broth may not set.
Ingredients
- 2 pig's feet
- 1 pork knuckle or 700 g other meat
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- Bay leaves, pepper, and salt
Method
- Wash the meat well, cover with water, and simmer slowly, skimming off foam.
- Add carrot, onion, bay leaves, and pepper. Cook until the meat separates easily.
- Remove the meat, take it off the bones, and chop it.
- Strain the broth and season it with garlic and salt.
- Put the meat into dishes, cover with broth, and chill until set.
Notes
Salt is perceived less strongly in a cold dish, so the broth should taste pronounced.
