For almost 200 years, Bath chaps have been considered a West Country delicacy, named after the word ‘chap’ – a variant of ‘chop’, which referred to an animal’s jaws and cheeks during the 16th century. At their most simple, Batch chaps comprise pig’s cheeks and/or jowls, though various recipe iterations exist.
The first use of the term ‘Bath chaps’ is believed to date back to 1831, featured as an advertisement in the ‘Morning Chronicle’. Early recipes would generally call for pig’s cheeks or jowls to be salted, air-cured or pickled in brine, usually braised and rolled in breadcrumbs then served cold like ham. The Bath element of the dish actually relates to the city of bath in Somerset. During the time of the recipe’s genesis, regular supplies of pigs were brought to Bath from Wiltshire or Gloucestershire for processing. Most common were Gloucester Old Spots, a breed known for their particularly long jaw. Most traditional recipes still call for Gloucester Old Spot pork, pressed into a cone-shaped mould and cloaked with breadcrumbs, not unlike French Jambonneau.
This Batch chaps recipe uses a whole pig’s head, which has the bones, eyes, ears and tongue removed. Do use the tongue and ears for other delicious recipes, however. The boned head is then trimmed slightly and hairs are removed before rolling tightly like a rolled pork joint or brisket. It’s then brined for up to a week (the longer the better), braised, chilled and finally sliced and either cooked in the oven or in a screaming hot frying pan to crisp up the fat and skin. It’s then served with a very simple apple and celeriac marinade.
Granted, the process of preparing Bath chaps does take time, but the final result is worth every second. Imagine a brined and slow-cooked pork cheek snuggled by a thick layer of perfectly rendered fat, then armoured with a brittle, densely flavoured ring of crackling.
Bath chaps cooking tips
When buying a pig’s head, it may be worth asking your butcher to do most of the prep work. Any good butcher will be able to bone the pig’s head, or saw it in half at the absolute least. An even better butcher will even be able to clean and roll the boned pig’s head for you (trust me, some of these butchers really do still exist). Ideally you want the boned head to be in two pieces, making it easier to roll and cook evenly.
If the pig’s head isn’t rolled, make sure the skin is completely free from hairs, then roll each piece into a thick sausage shape, with the skin on the outside. Tie tightly with butcher’s twine and place in a large, lidded box or bucket to brine.
Brine the Bath chaps for 3-7 days, but ideally strive for closer to 7 days for greater depth of favour.
Once cooled in the braising liquor, tightly wrap the Bath chaps in cling film and chill thoroughly before slicing. This will help the slices to have more uniform shapes, as well as helping to prevent them from falling apart while being finished in a pan or in the oven.
Optionally forgo the final step of cooking in the oven or in a frying pan and enjoy cold.
Bath chaps are delicious with a great variety of accompaniments, but they’re absolutely perfect with a simple remoulade made using celeriac and JAZZ Apples.
Bath Chaps with Apple & Celeriac Remoulade
Equipment
- Strong cling film
- A large box or bucket with lid for brining
Ingredients
- 1 pig’s head fully boned (eyes and hair removed), cut into two pieces and ideally rolled
- 500 g salt
- 9 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 12 peppercorns
- 1 onion peeled and sliced
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the JAZZ Apple & Celeriac Remoulade
- 2 JAZZ Apples
- 1 celeriac peeled
- 6 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- If the pig’s head isn’t rolled, make sure the skin is completely free from hairs, then roll each piece into a thick sausage shape, with the skin on the outside. Tie tightly with butcher’s twine and place in a large, lidded box or bucket.
- Make the brine by adding 5 litres water and 500g salt to a large pan. Bring to the boil and add 5 bay leaves, the thyme and sliced onion. Stir to combine, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, pour over the rolled pig’s head and use a clean plate to weigh the pig’s head down. Transfer to the fridge (or somewhere cool) and brine for 3-7 days.
- Once brined, remove the pig’s head from the brine and rinse. Place in a large oven-safe pan with a lid and fill with enough clean water to cover the rolled pig’s head. Also add the remaining bay leaves, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. Place in the oven at 150C/130C fan/Gas 2 and braise for 4 hours. Allow the meat to cool completely in the cooking water.
- Once cooled, lay 2 layers of cling film on a clean work surface, remove the twine from the meat and roll each piece tightly in the cling film. Place in the fridge for at least 8 hours to firm.
- During this time, prepare the JAZZ Apple and celeriac remoulade. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and cider vinegar to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Thinly slice the celeriac and apples and cut into thin matchsticks. Add to the mixing bowl with the dressing, season with salt and pepper then toss to combine. Refrigerate until needed.
- Once thoroughly chilled remove the meat from the fridge and slice each piece into 8 slices. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven at 220C/200C fan/Gas 7 for 15-20 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy. Serve with the JAZZ Apple and celeriac remoulade.
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