4 Ways to Cook Pig's Legs

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Pork feet are a poor but tasty dish, typical of many cultures and especially of the areas where people have learned to cook and eat all parts of the animal. Having a thick rind and many connective tissues, pork feet require long, low heat cooking, which makes the meat soft and succulent. You can boil them, braise them or cook them first in a pot and then on the grill; choose the recipe you prefer according to your tastes.

Ingrediants

Boiled Pig Feet

Yield: 4-6 servings

6 pork feet, cut in half lengthwise
4-5 stalks of celery
2 onions
3 large carrots
2 cloves of garlic
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of salt
A sprinkle of black pepper
Chilli to taste
250 ml of white wine vinegar
250-450 ml of barbecue sauce

Braised Pork Feet (Chinese Style)

Yield: 2-4 servings

1 kg of pork feet (about 2-3 feet)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of seed oil
4 shallots
1 head of garlic
A piece of ginger root (about 7-8 cm large)
2 bay leaves
2-5 dried chillies
1 star anise
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons (45 ml) of rice wine
5 tablespoons (75 ml) of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of salt
65 g of brown sugar
1 l of water

Grilled Pork Feet

Yield: 3-4 servings

4-5 pork feet
60 ml of sriracha sauce
120 ml of apple cider vinegar
120 ml of water
2 teaspoons of salt
120 g of honey

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Buying and Preparing Pork Legs

Step 1. Look for pork feet at the butcher's or at a farmer's market

This is an unpopular cut of meat these days, so you may have a hard time finding it. For the same reason, pork feet tend to be quite inexpensive. If you don't see them on display, try asking the butcher; it is likely that you keep them in the back room.

You can also try to look for them in the stores that sell Latin American or Asian food specialties.

Step 2. Have the butcher cut the legs if they are whole

It is not easy to cut them with a kitchen knife, so it is better that the butcher do it. Ask him to cut them in half lengthwise and then into slices.

The butcher will most likely be available to cut the feet as you wish

Step 3. Remove any hairs

The butcher may have already done this, otherwise you will have to remove the hair from the feet by burning them. Rotate the pig's feet over an open flame to burn as many hairs as possible.

You can use the flame of a warming candle (unscented) or a lighter.
If you have a gas cooker, you can turn on a stove and set the flame to low to use it to burn hair.
When you've burned out most of the hair, you can remove any remaining hair using a clean pair of tweezers.

Step 4. Clean the feet under cold running water

If you bought them at the supermarket they may already be clean, otherwise you will have to scrub them with a vegetable brush to remove dirt and any other impurities.

Method 2 of 4: Boiled Pork Feet

Step 1. Wash and coarsely slice the vegetables

Wash 4-5 celery stalks, 2 onions, 3 large carrots and 2 cloves of garlic under cold running water. Peel the vegetables and cut them into pieces a couple of centimeters large.

If you want you can also add a coarsely sliced fennel and 2-3 lemons cut in half

Step 2. Assemble the ingredients in a large pot

Place the 6 pork feet in the pot, then add the chopped vegetables, 6 bay leaves, a teaspoon of salt, a grind of black pepper, chilli to taste and 250 ml of white wine vinegar.

Omit the vinegar if you have chosen to add lemons.
You can add some other flavorings to taste, for example 2-3 sprigs of rosemary or a handful of sage or tarragon leaves.
Some recipes also include thyme (one sprig), parsley (6 sprigs), allspice, or cloves (6 pieces each).
If you want, you can use 10-12 black peppercorns instead of grinding it.

Step 3. Cover the ingredients with water

Fill the pot so they are completely submerged. Do not add any more water than what is needed to cover the pig's feet.

If you prefer, you can replace the water with a vegetable or chicken broth which will give the meat more flavor

Step 4. Let the ingredients cook for 2-3 hours

Put the lid on the pot and heat the water (or broth) over high heat until it boils. When the water has reached a brisk boil, reduce the heat so that it simmers gently and let the pork feet cook for at least a couple of hours.

Some recipes require even longer cooking, up to 6 hours.
If you want, you can use a slow cooker. If you want to speed up the time, you can use the pressure cooker.

Step 5. Remove the foam that forms on the surface of the water

As with many other cuts of meat, impurities will rise to the surface during cooking and accumulate on the water in the form of foam, especially during the first half hour. Although it is not harmful, it is advisable to remove the foam gradually with a spoon.

Some cooks prefer to avoid eliminating the foam

Step 6. Wait for the meat to detach from the bones

Once cooked, the meat will be so tender that a very light pressure will be enough to detach it from the bones. After two hours of cooking, take a knife or fork and check if the meat is already soft enough. Check it every 30 minutes or so until it's as tender as you want.

Step 7. Serve the pork feet

Transfer them to plates accompanied by a ladle of broth and a couple of slices of bread. Alternatively, you can drain them from the broth and sprinkle them with the hot barbecue sauce.

Remember that pork feet should be served hot

Method 3 of 4: Braised Pork Feet (Chinese Style)

Step 1. Briefly boil the pork feet twice

Put them in a large pot and cover them with water. Heat the water over medium-high heat and, when it boils, cook the pork feet for about 3-5 minutes. When finished, drain them from the cooking water, rinse them and repeat the process a second time.

Blanching the pork feet is useful to mitigate the strong taste that could otherwise transfer into the cooking liquid

Step 2. Drain the pork feet and let them dry

After blanching them a couple of times, remove them from the water using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate.

Discard the cooking water

Step 3. Rinse and coarsely chop 4 spring onions, a head of garlic and a piece of ginger about 7-8 cm long

Peel the ginger and cut it into large pieces a couple of centimeters, peel and chop the garlic cloves and roughly slice the spring onions after removing the dark green tips.

Crumble the dried chillies with your hands

Step 4. Brown the feet, vegetables and spices in the oil

Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of seed oil into a large pot and heat it over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped spring onion and ginger, a star anise, a cinnamon stick, 3 cloves and the crumbled chillies. Stir for 3-4 minutes being careful not to burn the ingredients, then add the pork feet and let them brown on both sides.

Garlic burns easily, so it's best to add it later.
If you prefer, you can use a wok instead of a saucepan.
The oil becomes slightly more liquid when it heats up, so it's easier to distribute it evenly across the bottom of the pan.
Use only 2 dried chillies for a delicate dish or up to 5 if you like spicy foods.

Step 5. Add the rest of the ingredients

Pour 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of rice wine, 5 tablespoons (75 ml) of soy sauce and a liter of water into the pot, finally add 2 teaspoons of salt and 65 g of brown sugar.

Stir to blend the ingredients and flavors

Step 6. Let the feet simmer for about 3 hours

Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar and salt. When the water is boiling, reduce the heat to simmer for the next 3 hours. Let the meat simmer until it is as soft as you like.

While cooking, stir the ingredients every 15-30 minutes to make sure the feet are submerged in the liquid.
Gradually the liquid will thicken. If when it has reached the right density the pork feet are not yet cooked, add more water (250 ml at a time) and let the meat cook for the necessary time.
Some cooks prefer to cook pork feet for only 60-90 minutes. Try both methods and choose the one you prefer.

Step 7. Check if the meat is ready after 2 and a half hours of cooking

Stick it with a knife or fork to see if it's soft enough. If it's cooked to perfection, it should come off the bone easily. If not, let it cook a little longer. When it is ready, serve it immediately on the table.

If the sauce is still liquid by the time the meat is ready, remove the lid from the pot and raise the heat slightly. Let the sauce boil until it reduces and thickens

Step 8. Serve the pork feet still warm

Transfer them to individual plates along with the sauce. If you want you can serve the meat on a bed of white rice, it will absorb the juices making it delicious.

Method 4 of 4: Grilled Pork Feet

Step 1. Preheat the oven

Turn it on to 150 ° C and let it warm up while you prepare the ingredients. If you are short on time, you can raise the temperature to 160 ° C so that the meat cooks faster.

Step 2. Put all the ingredients in the pot with the exception of the honey

Take a large cast iron pot and add 4-5 pork feet, 60ml of sriracha sauce, 120ml of apple cider vinegar, 120ml of water and 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir briefly to distribute the ingredients evenly.

Step 3. Let the pork feet cook for about 2.5 hours or until softened

After 2.5 hours of cooking, skewer the meat with a fork to make sure it has reached the desired consistency.

Since you will have to finish cooking on the barbecue, do not wait for the meat to be soft enough to come off the bones easily.
For convenience, you can cook the feet in the pot a day in advance and grill them when you are ready to eat them.

Step 4. Turn on the barbecue

Pile embers on one side or in the center of the barbecue to grill pork feet over indirect heat. Pour the liquid accelerator over the charcoal and light the barbecue using the gas lighter or long matches. Let the charcoal burn for 15-30 minutes.

Use about one and a half kilograms of charcoal

Step 5. Place the pork feet on the grill when the embers are red and covered with ash

When the charcoal is red and covered with a layer of ash, cook the meat. Place the pork feet on the colder side of the grill with the rind facing down.

Step 6. Let the pork feet cook for 30 minutes sprinkling them with honey at regular intervals

Turn them every 5-10 minutes and brush the top side with honey. If they seem to be blackening too much, move them further away from the heat of the embers.