Brawn, also known as head cheese, is a traditional jellied meat product made by slowly simmering meat from the head of a pig or calf, often with trotters, until tender. The cooked meat is shredded or chopped and packed into a mould with its reduced cooking liquor, which sets into a firm natural gel as it cools thanks to the gelatin released from skin, bones and connective tissue. Served cold in slices, brawn is a classic charcuterie item in many European food cultures, valued as a way of using the whole animal. Because it is made from head meat, its production falls under specified risk material controls in countries managing BSE-related food safety risks.