Classic Meat Aspic
The king of the festive table. Rich, aromatic, and delicious. Classic meat aspic is a traditional Eastern European dish for any special occasion. We do not use gelatin, relying only on the natural gelling substances from bones and cartilage. This guarantees that noble taste and firm jelly texture.
Updated : 09 July, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
1.5 kilograms
Pork knuckle
1 kilograms
Pork
1
Onion
1
Carrot
2.5 liter
Water
2
Laurel leaf
10
Garlic
to taste
Peppercorns
to taste
Salt
to taste
Dry spices
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the necessary ingredients. Classic meat aspic is cooked from pork feet or pork knuckle. These parts contain a large amount of natural gelling substances that pass into the broth during cooking. Choose a pork knuckle of a suitable size so it fits into the cooking pot. You can choose dried spices according to your taste. Thaw the meat and knuckle in advance, trim away anything unnecessary, and wash them well.
Step 2
Cover the knuckle and prepared meat with cold water and leave them to stand for 4–5 hours. Then drain all the water from the soaked meat. Soaked meat gives a much cleaner, clearer, and lighter broth.
Step 3
Wash the carrot. Peel it together with the onion and place both whole into the cooking pot, without cutting them. Add the bay leaf, salt, spices to taste, and peppercorns. Put the prepared meat and knuckle into the pot as well. Do not cut them either.
Step 4
Pour in cold water so that everything is completely covered. You can cook meat aspic either in a pot on the stove or in a multicooker. In either case, the process takes a long time. I chose to cook it in a multicooker. Its advantage is that you do not need to watch it while it cooks. Turn on the Stew mode for about 6 hours and close the lid. Keep an eye on the water level in the pot and add hot water if necessary. Adjust to the specifics of your multicooker.
Step 5
If you are cooking meat aspic in a pot, first cook the meat without vegetables and spices over the lowest heat, uncovered, for about 3–4 hours, no less. Then cook it for 1 more hour with the vegetables and spices. After cooking, remove all the meat, cool it slightly, and remove the bones and skin. Strain the broth.
Step 6
Arrange the meat in the prepared dishes for setting the aspic. Pour the broth over the meat. Add a little minced garlic to each dish. Cool all the prepared aspic to room temperature and place it in the refrigerator for several hours so it sets well.
Step 7
Serve the aspic chilled, with mustard on the side. This appetizer will be a great addition to a festive table, especially for New Year celebrations, and will also delight you at an ordinary family dinner. Enjoy your meal!
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