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Brief Overview
Kholodets is one of those dishes that often divides opinion at first glance. A savoury jelly made from slow cooked meat and bones, it is usually served cold, sliced on a plate, and eaten with a generous dollop of mustard or horseradish.
For many Russians, though, it is more than just food. It is a holiday staple, a dish that shows up at festive tables alongside pickles and rye bread. Its firm, glistening surface carries not just flavour, but tradition and family memory.
Despite its unfamiliar appearance to some, Kholodets has a depth that makes it worth a second look. Once you get past the texture, it rewards with comforting, savoury richness and an unmistakable taste of Russian home cooking.
What Is Kholodets?
Kholodets is a meat jelly, typically made by simmering pork hocks, trotters, or other collagen rich cuts for several hours until the broth thickens naturally. The meat is shredded and poured into a mould, then cooled until set.
Once chilled, the broth becomes gelatinous without added gelatine. It is cut into slices and served cold. Some include garlic in the stock or layer in vegetables like carrots for extra colour and subtle sweetness.
Served alongside sharp mustard, horseradish, or vinegar, Kholodets is not just a dish, but a ritual. It is prepared in advance and brought out proudly for gatherings, especially around New Year or Orthodox Christmas.
Ingredients and Taste
The base ingredients focus on pig’s feet, pork hocks, or sometimes beef shank. These cuts are full of natural collagen, which gives Kholodets its set texture once cooled. The long simmer extracts every bit of flavour and structure.
Onions, carrots, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and garlic are added to the stock. Salt is adjusted carefully, as the broth will concentrate while reducing. The meat is picked clean, shredded, and distributed into deep plates or moulds.
The final texture is firm but tender, and the taste is mild, meaty, and savoury. The broth has a deep, rich backbone, gently seasoned with spices. The sharpness of horseradish or mustard balances the richness perfectly on the tongue.
A Taste of History
Kholodets has roots stretching back to medieval Slavic kitchens, where resourcefulness shaped much of the cuisine. Peasants learned to use every part of the animal, and slow boiling preserved both flavour and nutrition during cold months.
The dish gained popularity across Russia and Eastern Europe as a practical way to extend meat. Cold winters made natural refrigeration easy, and the collagen in cheaper cuts ensured the broth would set without waste.
It became part of celebratory meals, especially during the winter holiday season. It also carried a message of care and effort, since the process takes hours and demands patience. Nothing about Kholodets is rushed.
Today, Kholodets continues to be a dish tied closely to home. Though less common in everyday cooking, it still appears on family tables during special occasions. It is a dish that invites pause, conversation, and a shared sense of continuity.
How to make Kholodets
Kholodets is a traditional Russian savoury jelly made by slow cooking pork and beef with aromatic vegetables and spices until the broth becomes rich with natural gelatine. Once chilled, it sets into a shimmering, flavour packed aspic. It’s rustic, hearty, and deeply rooted in holiday tables. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions
Ingredients
For the broth and meat
- 500g pork trotters (cleaned and halved)
- 400g beef shank or oxtail
- 300g pork shoulder
- 1 large onion (peeled, halved)
- 1 large carrot (peeled)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp salt (adjust to taste)
- Water to cover (approx. 3 to 3.5 litres)
For serving
- Fresh horseradish or mustard
- Fresh parsley (optional garnish)
- Rye bread
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the meat
To begin, rinse pork trotters, beef shank, and pork shoulder under cold water. Place in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and skim off foam. This ensures a clear, clean broth. Proceed to flavouring the pot.
Step 2: Add aromatics
Once scum is removed, reduce to a gentle simmer. Add onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 6 hours, topping up with hot water to keep meat submerged. Move on to seasoning.
Step 3: Season the broth
In the final hour of simmering, add salt and adjust as needed. Taste the broth—it should be well seasoned but not overpowering. Continue simmering until meat falls off the bone. Then, strain the broth.
Step 4: Strain and cool
Remove all solids and strain the broth through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot. Set the broth aside to cool slightly. Begin sorting the meats.
Step 5: Shred the meat
Separate usable meat from bones and cartilage. Discard skin, bones, and vegetables. Shred meat into bite sized pieces. Transition to preparing the moulds.
Step 6: Arrange the meat
Place shredded meat evenly into deep serving dishes or ramekins. You may mix pork and beef or layer them by type. Proceed to pouring the broth.
Step 7: Pour the broth
Gently ladle the warm broth over the meat, covering fully. Let it settle for a few minutes, skimming off any surface fat with a spoon. Let cool at room temperature before refrigerating.
Step 8: Chill to set
Transfer the dishes to the refrigerator and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight until fully set into a firm jelly. Once set, prepare for garnishing.
Final step: Serve chilled
Serve the kholodets cold, cut into slices or unmoulded whole. Garnish with parsley if desired. Offer alongside horseradish or spicy mustard and slices of rye bread. This pairing brings balance to the richness.
Variations and substitutions
- Substitute beef shank with veal bones for a lighter version.
- Add boiled egg slices or fresh parsley leaves to the moulds before pouring broth for decoration.
- Use chicken feet in place of pork trotters if needed for natural gelatine.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Kholodets
- Always blanch the meat first to remove impurities for a clear broth.
- Simmer gently without boiling to keep the broth translucent.
- Avoid using commercial gelatine for traditional texture, pork trotters and beef shank provide natural gelling agents.
- Use individual ramekins for serving if you prefer single portions.
Russian Kholodets (Aspic)
Ingredients
For the broth and meat
- 500 g pork trotters cleaned and halved
- 400 g beef shank or oxtail
- 300 g pork shoulder
- 1 large onion peeled, halved
- 1 large carrot peeled
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp salt adjust to taste
- Water to cover approx. 3 to 3.5 litres
For serving
- Fresh horseradish or mustard
- Fresh parsley optional garnish
- Rye bread
Instructions
- To begin, rinse pork trotters, beef shank, and pork shoulder under cold water. Place in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and skim off foam. This ensures a clear, clean broth. Proceed to flavouring the pot.
- Once scum is removed, reduce to a gentle simmer. Add onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 6 hours, topping up with hot water to keep meat submerged. Move on to seasoning.
- In the final hour of simmering, add salt and adjust as needed. Taste the broth—it should be well seasoned but not overpowering. Continue simmering until meat falls off the bone. Then, strain the broth.
- Remove all solids and strain the broth through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot. Set the broth aside to cool slightly. Begin sorting the meats.
- Separate usable meat from bones and cartilage. Discard skin, bones, and vegetables. Shred meat into bite sized pieces. Transition to preparing the moulds.
- Place shredded meat evenly into deep serving dishes or ramekins. You may mix pork and beef or layer them by type. Proceed to pouring the broth.
- Gently ladle the warm broth over the meat, covering fully. Let it settle for a few minutes, skimming off any surface fat with a spoon. Let cool at room temperature before refrigerating.
- Transfer the dishes to the refrigerator and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight until fully set into a firm jelly. Once set, prepare for garnishing.
- Serve the kholodets cold, cut into slices or unmoulded whole. Garnish with parsley if desired. Offer alongside horseradish or spicy mustard and slices of rye bread. This pairing brings balance to the richness.
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