Braised Pig’s Trotters are tender, juicy, and flavorful – cooked long and slow in a rich sauce. They are considered one of the most delicious parts of pork. We make this recipe for regular weekdays and special occasions like Chinese New Year. Serve them with mashed potatoes and green vegetables for an amazing meal!
Table of Contents
What are Pig Trotters?
Also known as pork feet, pig trotters have thick skin and connective tissues. Sometimes hocks are attached as well. They contain little meat, but a lot of gelatin in the skin and bones.
They are used in various dishes around the world such as China and Africa. There are many different ways to cook them like stove-top, pressure cooker, slow cooker, and even sous vide. My favorite is cooking them on the stove-top – it’s the easiest way to cook these pork feet, and they are full of flavor!
The pig’s feet are braised in a rich and flavorful sauce. After boiling the trotters in the boiling water, just dump all the ingredients in a pot. All this recipe requires is patience – the slow cooking process will make the most tender and delicious pork feet!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pig Trotters: You’ll need to clean them thoroughly and remove the hair before cooking.
- Soy Sauce: It adds a nice saltiness and umami flavor. I used a combination of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, which added a beautiful deeper color.
- Vegetable Oil: It has a high smoke point so don’t substitute with extra virgin olive oil.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best result. You can also sub garlic powder.
- Ginger: It adds great flavor to the dish. Remove the skin and cut it into thin pieces. Alternatively, you can use ginger powder.
- Green Onion
- Cooking Wine: Braising with cooking wine enhances the dish by creating a more flavor sauce. You can substitute beer.
- Star Anises
- Sugar: It helps to sweeten the sauce. You can use regular sugar or brown sugar.
- Salt
- Water
How to Make Braised Pig Trotters
- Add cold water and pig feet to a large saucepan or pot. Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes, and drain the water.
- Remove the hair and cut them into smaller chunks.
- In a wok or skillet over medium-heat, add oil, garlic, ginger and green onion. Stir fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add sugar and stir fry until it’s dissolved.
- Add pig feet chunks, star anises, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and cooking wine to the skillet.
- Then add water to make sure the liquid covers the pork feet completely.
- Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat. Cover the lid and simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour until pork feet have become completely tender.
- Remove the lid. If the sauce is not thick enough, turn the heat to medium-high, stir-fry until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and serve immediately.
Tips and Tricks
- It’s important to add the pig feet to the cold water, bring them to boil and cook for 5 minutes before braising. This will help to remove the odors.
- It’s important to give it enough time to braise the pig’s feet. Be patient.
- Do not add salt at the beginning of the braising as it may cause a chewy texture.
What Do Pig’s Trotters Taste Like?
They taste like other parts of the pork except that they have a different texture – smooth and rich, but not greasy. They might be of an acquired taste for some people.
Can You Cook Pig’s Trotters in A Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can use this recipe and cook the pig feet in a slow cooker. Instead of braising them on the stove, you can cook them in a crockpot on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours until the trotter’s skin becomes tender and soft.
Are Pork Feet Good For You?
Pig’s feet are considered to be good for your skin as they are loaded with collagen, which helps prevent wrinkles and aging.
Easy Pig Trotters Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds pig trotters
- 1 inch ginger sliced
- 1 green onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 1/3 cup cooking wine
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 star anises
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
- water as needed
Instructions
- Remove the hair and cut them into smaller chunks.
- Add cold water and pig trotters to a large saucepan or pot. (Make sure the pig feet are submerged.)
- Add ginger and green onion. Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes, and drain the water.
- In a wok or skillet over medium heat, add oil, garlic, and onion. Stir fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add pig feet chunks, sugar, star anises, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and cooking wine to the skillet.
- Add pig feet chunks, star anises, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, and sugar to the skillet.
- Then add water to make sure the liquid covers the pork feet completely.
- Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat. Cover the lid and simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour until pork feet have become completely tender.
- Remove the lid. If the sauce is not thick enough, turn the heat to medium-high, stir-fry until the sauce has thickened.
- Taste test and add salt to your taste. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Leave a Reply