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1. Wash the pigs' feet thoroughly under cold running water, then place them with the beef in an 8- to 10-quart pot. Pour in enough cold water to cover the meats by about 1 inch.
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2. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile skimming off the scum and foam that rise to the surface. Then add the chopped onions and cloves, and reduce the heat to low.
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3. Simmer partially covered for about 2 hours, until the meats are tender and show no resistance when pierced with the tines of a fork. Transfer the meats to a platter and strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve set over a bowl.
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4. While the pigs' feet are still hot, remove their skin and bones, and discard them. Coarsely chop the meat from the feet and the beef shin and place it in a mixing bowl.
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5. Add 1 cup of the strained cooking liquid, 1½ teaspoons of salt and a few grindings of pepper, and mix thoroughly. Then pour the entire contents of the bowl into a 1-pint loaf pan or mold.
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6. Cover the top with wax paper or foil and weight it with a heavy pan or casserole weighing 3 or 4 pounds. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the brawn, with the weight still in place, for at least 6 hours or until it jellies.
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7. To unmold and serve the brawn, run a sharp knife around the side of the pan and dip the bottom in hot water for a few seconds. Wipe the pan dry, place a chilled serving plate over it and, grasping pan and plate firmly together, quickly turn them over.
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8. Rap them sharply on a table and the brawn should slide out easily. Cut the brawn into ¼-inch crosswise slices and arrange the slices attractively on a chilled serving plate, overlapping them slightly.
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9. Brawn may be served as a first course or as a light luncheon dish. Accompany it with fresh bread and pickled onions.
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