Pig's Feet in Vinegar
In Chinese tradition, pig's feet braised in vinegar are commonly eaten by the mother after giving birth. It's supposed to promote lactation or something. In looking for a recipe, I found several classes of recipes, all quite different except for the common ingredients of pig's feet and some type of vinegar.
Tracy isn't a big fan of pig's feet, but she seemed to like the following recipe, which I found on the the Flavor and Fortune website.
PIG'S FEET WITH GINGER AND SWEET BLACK VINEGAR
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds pigs' feet, split and cut into 2 inch lengths
- 1 pound ginger, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 21 ounce bottle Chinese sweetened black vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 6 to 8 eggs, hard boiled, in their shells
Preparation:
Rinse the pigs' feet and put them in a large, heavy pot. Cover them with cold water and bring to a boil, then drain them and rinse well. With a paring knife and a pair of tweezers, remove any hair or discoloration. (Run your hands over the feet to make sure you removed all the bristles)
- Cover the pig's feet with water and bring to a boil again. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for forty-five minutes.
- Remove the cover and add the ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, and salt and bring this mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for two hours, stirring occasionally. Then add the eggs during the last thirty minutes of cooking. There should be about two cups of thick syrupy sauce.
- Allow the pigs' feet to cool in the pot. Cover and refrigerate overnight, allowing the flavors to meld and mellow. Then skim off and discard hardened fat and reheat and spoon the pigs' feet into individual bowls and serve them with a little vinegar and ginger.
Serves 6 to 8.
The least expensive place to buy pig's feet are at the Mexican grocery.
Alternate Recipe
This recipe is from Tracy's mom, who got the recipe from aunt winnie, who got the recipe from somebody else:
- 3-4 lb pigs feet
- salt
- sugar
- rice vinegar
- boil pigs feet, discard water.
- add water, just enough to cover.
- add chunk of ginger
- add salt (or soy sauce)
- about 1 cup sugar
- add equivalent amount of vinegar
- simmer until soft
- toss in some hard-boiled eggs when feet are nearly done
Mom says that when Jeanie's mom made this for her, it was pretty sour. Traditionally, you should also add peanuts.