Pork Brains in Milk Gravy

by Tracy

Or, admire my skill in typing while dry heaving

Front of can of pork brains with milk gravy, Rose brand

Front of can of pork brains with milk gravy, Rose brand

About a month ago, there was a thread on the IHMMB forums linking to a Consumerist post called “The Worst Food Product Ever May Have Been Found“. I was surprised how many people had never heard of pork brains in milk gravy, as I’ve seen them in many grocery stores, near the Spam and canned corned beef hash. So, of course I went and bought a can. I couldn’t find the Armour brand, but I think off brand pork brains are probably just as good.

You might have noticed that both cans have the brains nestled in scrambled eggs. That’s how they are served here and you can even find them on some restaurant menus. I’ve never seen anyone order it, but I always like it when I see it on the menu. It gives me that “ahhh, I’m not eating at no dang corporate chain, no I’m eating at the restaurant of the people. The eggs n’ brains eating dadgummed heart of America” feeling.

Pork brains ingredients

Pork brains ingredients

Ewww nitrites!

Pork brains nutrition information 1

Pork brains nutrition information 1

I’m glad they didn’t try to pull that one can equals two servings crap. Do you share your can of Sirloin Burger? I think not.

Pork brains nutrition information 2

Pork brains nutrition information 2

The famous 10 days worth of cholesterol in one serving but who knew that pork brains had vitamin C?

Okay, you’re right, I was totally stalling on opening the can.

Open can of pork brains

Open can of pork brains

The smell that came out of the can was like ground up vienna sausages mixed with particularly strong canned dog food. The cheap kind, not the kind that is better than what most people eat. I can still smell it, but maybe that’s because I haven’t taken out the trash yet.

Brains on a plate! Brains on a plate!

Brains on a plate! Brains on a plate!

I tipped the can out onto a plate and that’s when my stomach really started to clench up and I became woozy and light-headed. I’d thought about scrambling up some eggs and tucking it inside to see if I could make it look like the picture on the front of the can but all the blood was rushing out of my head and I couldn’t imagine making it that far without vomitting or falling down. It felt as if I couldn’t walk and it was all I could do to set up the camera to take a picture. Of course, my tripod was wobbling (it’s one of those bendy legged ones) and I felt a sudden fear that my camera would fall into the pork brains and felt as though I might cry.

Brains bring up some deep seated taboo and it distresses me to even look at them. If pigs have souls, surely they must live in the brain. And surely pigs must have souls, otherwise people wouldn’t make so many movies about them. And to eat, or even touch the house of another living being’s soul or scramble it with eggs, why that’s sacrilege. Let’s hope that there is really no such thing as zombies, for if there are, and one gets me, I’ll be in a doozy of a pickle then.

However, since I’m nothing if not dedicated to my work as a person who blogs about stuff so people will pay attention to her, I did dip my pinkie finger in the milk gravy and have a small taste. It was salty and made me shudder. I thought perhaps I ought to give it a poke but I couldn’t make my fingers do it, so I dumped the whole thing in the garbage disposal and let the water run a good long time.

I am also wondering why the milk gravy. So, I wrote Armour (I couldn’t find Rose’s website):

Hi! I was wondering why your pork brains, and indeed all the brands of pork brains I have ever seen, are packed in milk gravy. Is it for taste or does the milk act as a preservative?
Thanks!
Tracy

I will let you know if I get an answer. Until then, enjoy this video of some fools eating Rose pork brains in milk gravy.

The End! (I refuse to speculate as to what that dark matter on the bottom might be)

The End! (I refuse to speculate as to what that dark matter on the bottom might be)

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  • Angel

    My dad would cook pork brains & eggs for breakfast every once and awhile and it’s just like ground up ham with eggs. So don’t knock something until you try it. If someone was to make this and serve it to you with out telling you, you wouldn’t have a clue.

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  • http://www.oilandfasfinanceexperts.com Jesse James

    It is amazing to me that a product like this would make it to the market. But you never know what people are going to enjoy.

    Thanks for pulling this one out of the archives.

  • Tom

    I found Rose brand’s Pork Brains in Milk gravy in a Food Lion supermarket in Raleigh, NC. I have no use for it, especially as a canned product. I have eaten brains, but never canned and in a milk gravy.

  • Jack Freeman

    Sliced thin, battered and fried with grilled onions in a sandwich. Yum!

  • http://www.veganhealthandbeauty.com Vegan Girl

    All I can say about seeing those pictures is…I’m soooo glad that I’m vegan.

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  • http://tragicbeautiful.com/ Debra

    Wow. I feel sick just looking at the pictures. I sort of pride myself on being willing to try all sorts of new things at least once, but I don’t think I could manage to try that. Not even sticking my finger in the milk gravy. I do want to go to the grocery now though and look for them just to see them in person.
    .-= Debra´s last blog ..Groceries, & Stuff. =-.

  • http://www.greenzabiha.com green zabiha

    Jews and Muslims of the world rejoice! This stuff isn’t even allowed for us to eat if we had a moment of weakness (insanity?)…

  • http://navy.ap.teacup.com/yanagiyatomochin/ Osamu

    Is it canned fear? Mmm… I want to see(^^
    No selling it in Japan.
    But we can get bugs canned in Japan…..It’s fear too!
    .-= Osamu ´s last blog ..鮪の缶詰 =-.

  • Phil

    I wonder when a large part of the US stopped consuming offal? The same thing is happening in the UK about some organs now. But brains are eaten in many parts of the world, there’s a British dish called brawn that includes brains for example. The prion risk can be overstated-cattle brains are definitely a no-no, but sheep infected with scrapie have been consumed for a long time with no transfer of the disease, the risk from pig brains is minimal. The fat content is another matter! Though remember that cholesterol contentitself is less important than the cholesterol the body makes from the saturated fats.

  • harold

    Just ate a big plate of them, they were darn tasty. I think the cow tongue in my freezer is going to be al little tastier though. I also have a jar of chocolate covered june bugs for desert.

  • http://www.fairyannas.com/fitness/fitness-main.htm Function Fittness

    Once upon a time I collected strange canned foods. I had this Too!

    • Butchmattke

      Very common dish In the old South, brains and eggs. My grandfather would select a clear cold day to butcher hogs. The tenderloin and hog head were taken to the house My grandmother made fresh biscuits, fried the tenderloin, and cooked the brains with scrambled eggs. Very tasty!

      • http://www.facebook.com/maikl.farris Maikl Farris

        that is exactly what we did…thanks for the memories

  • http://www.fairyannas.com/fitness/fitness-main.htm Function Fittness

    Once upon a time I collected strange canned foods. I had this Too!

  • http://bensix.wordpress.com/ BenSix

    I refuse to speculate as to what that dark matter on the bottom might be…

    Tumours?

  • http://www.brettwidmann.com Brett Widmann

    It is safe to say that I am completely revolted by this, but give you mad props for writing about it. :)

  • Jim

    Actually your can of Rose Pork Brains was at one time the major brand for this food. We ate it at my grandfathers regularly. Very good to my memory growing up.

  • Loli

    Its pretty common practice to store or ‘clean’ organ meats in milk…it reduces their gamey flavor. This works really well with kidneys and liver. Brain tissue is mostly fat so, the milk might help maintain the consistency. As you can see from the can there, its almost melted already. Interested to hear the reason the company gives. Hmm. Nice adventure in a can.

    • http://www.facebook.com/maikl.farris Maikl Farris

      i like your style…
      nice adventure in a can…

  • Brad

    You don’t know what you are missing! Pork brain is absolutely delicious and although the canned kind is not my preference, fresh pork brains are a wonderful treat. If no one told you what you were eating you would think it wonderful. I do understand though. It doesn’t sound appetizing, but be adventurous. You may be pleasantly surprised!

  • Neetasmalls

    jeez what a wussy little creature you are

  • Hal Kent Fearey

    When I was a kid my mother made Pork Brains & Eggs for lunch!  I enjoyed it very much,

  • Karin Bell

    My mother-in-law asked me to bring her some cans of this nastiness when we visit her in Florida – apparently they don’t sell it down there.  Gross.

  • Mr Ree

    damn that looks good
    pork brains and scrambled eggs with hashbrowns…THE ultimate anti hangover cure..just eat after the drink’n is done and the next morning the hangover leaves with the BM

  • cleejonez

    What next, road kill in an excrement slurry? Totally disgusting.

  • Cake

    i come from nc and ive seen people eat worse than brains.Damn florida doesn’t have them or liver pudding for that matter what a dreadful place!

  • 1USABarbie

    LOL LOL LOL, I agree with your comment.  What is even funnier, my husband loves pork brains, bless his heart:(  I was googling to try & find where to get them.  We use to buy them at Food Lion, we have checked all the grocery stores & can not find them anymore.  I am not paying $10.00 shipping to buy on a website based grocery store, seriously for pork brains!!!!

  • Rough

    I was hungry, now I might just go and throw up.

    • http://www.facebook.com/maikl.farris Maikl Farris

      why would anyone take the time to show some shit like this? sadistic, useless propaganda…get a life, and use your talents for something better…obviously you have a point to make…focus on the positive, bro…peace…

  • Sosocinema

    My brother recently gave me a can of Rose’s Pork Brains as a gag birthday gift.  I was contemplating cooking them and did a Google search on how to prepare.  That’s how I ended up here.  Don’t think I got the balls to do it after seeing your photos.  Thanks for saving my life.

    - Michael

  • Dalsbabygal

    I absolutely love Pork Brains with eggs.  My problem is finding them.  I usually have to get someone to buy them and ship them to me.  Sure wish they were sold in more places!

  • ms

    Yikes! Here the UK it’s recommended not to eat brain and spinal cord at all, and it’s been illegal to supply cattle and sheep CNS material for human consumption since the BSE (so-called Mad Cow Disease) in the 90s. I’ve been reading that regulation has been more difficult in the USA because the government has been even less willing than ours to confront agribusiness. 

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/RM55CWIKMDYAAIKZCNXOPNOQ4Y Tim Gardner

    Pork brains are delicious! I like them in spicy hot pot Chinese Sichuan style with extra MSG and garlic! 
    http://www.timgardner.info/2012/05/30/pig-brains-and-msg-a-sichuan-speciality/

  • Keithtaylorsfine

    never heard of pork brains in got dam milk gravy (which i have also never heard of) we always get that amusing punch line in comedies when an american comes over or back from britain and says the food was terrible …… well at least we dont eat pork brains in milk gravy!!!!!

  • Troypjr

    So, you decide to do a Blog on Pork Brains and egg….You did a good job but did not do the best and important part of your reserch. You did not complete by not cooking with eggs and taste test…..If you going to do blogs…you need to complete it and not give up before all the infomation is there…..

  • http://www.facebook.com/maikl.farris Maikl Farris

    i live in Cancún…fresh pork brains are tucked into a white corn tortilla, pinned with a toothpick, and deepfried…this is a sesadilla…they are fried on a grill, served on a white tortilla, and eaten with a variety of salsas…
    it´s nothing like that canned shit you show…expand your world from processed foods that your government provides you, and enjoy culture…peace…

    • Christopher Carr

      That sounds quite nice, actually. Thing is — while I’ll eat all sorts of odd stuff — I’ve a fear of spongiform encephalopathies, and so avoid consuming brain.

  • Debra

    I ate them all the time growing up..Granny would take a fork and smash them up(in the gravey juice) do not drain that out, add salt and pepper, add a few(3) ritz crackers crumpled up and 3-4 eggs.mix together well and scamble them up..do not over cook eggs or it will be very dry..They are actually very good done this way…welcome to the real South…
    I am trying to find out where you can buy them,,my father wants some and they are no longer sold in our grocery stores around here.

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