Pig’s feet isn’t the leanest cut nor the one with less bones but it certainly the tastiest of pork. Juicy, tender and irresistible.
The hardest thing when someone changing diet is to find new food that can step into the place of the old ones. Be it Atkins, Paleo, Keto, Fasting or Sugar free, most of the diets require rethinking not only what we eat but how we live our life as well.
Well, fasting must be the easiest of all cos we don’t have to think constantly about what we should cook that has no carbs but still tasty. We don’t eat, we are going to be hungry, we have to get used to it.
It seems that changing way of life is much easier than changing what we like to eat. To be honest, we can’t really do anything about it. It’s not really our fault. Our primitive reptile brain is responsible for all the unconscious actions like breathing, heart beats, eating and suchso it is to blame for that.
This part of our brain that keeps us alive day after day and protects us from unforeseen dangerous situations decides what we like to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner too. As the primary function of this brain is to keep us alive as long as possible with the smallest possible effort, it will always choose food that provides the most calories with as little invested time and energy as possible.
No wonder, fast food is thriving. We are hardwired to eat such a food by life itself. Although, it doesn’t explain why Japanese fast food is healthy and the rest of the world eats crap but this is a different topic.
However, this primitive brain has great influence on us and what we do, luckily it has no will of its own and trainable for new things. Like training it to choose salad instead of hamburgers when we are hungry.
What we need to do is simply eat healthy food when we are hungry and after some time our brain will be switched to choose from the new food pool. It’s a bit of a cumbersome process but as for everything in life, now there is an App for that to speed up the process. (Food Trainer from the University of Exeter)
So, the first step into this utopian world where our brain only picks food that aren’t trying to poison us is, to provide our subconscious the means to choose from.
That means to reach back in time and look for recipes before the food industrialization process has taken its foothold in our life and eliminated everything that can’t be made quickly and eaten out of a box.
This is also a kind of hard task as food industrialization started in the 19th century with canning and pasteurization. So basically, we can’t go to granny and ask about how it was in the old times because the old times were even worse than now. After all they thought sugar to be healthy…
There is hope in the future though. There are still traditional recipes out there to fill our dire needs when we long them most. This sometimes means to look into other countries’ cuisines where industrialization started much later and ruined less customs.
Other times it just means to use ingredients that aren’t in the mainstream prepackaged fridge in the shops and requires an extra trip to the butcher. Like who would think of making something out of the feet of a pig.
It doesn’t need an excessive preparation though. It may be advisable to ask the butcher to open them up or cut them into halves but other than that it isn’t really necessary. Sure enough, we can sauté a bit of onion or mirepoix before we start to cook but it will be just fine without them.
The only thing the pork feet requires, to add the ingredients into the same pot and cook it until it’s so nice and tender that everything just falls off the bones. Delicious!
Pig feet or pig trotters in the U.K. as we may expect aren’t full of lean meat but bones, skin and fat. In fact, a pig’s feet contain the same amount of protein as fat. If it is prepared right, it is a juicy and tender cut of meat that has no equivalent, except maybe the beef tripe.
Ingredients
- ½ cup / 150ml Lard or cooking oil
- 2 pieces / 400g Onion (diced)
- 1 piece / 100g Italian green pepper (diced) (can be hot)
- 4 Pig’s feet (halved)
- 4 teaspoons / 8g Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Parsley or Celery leaves (diced)
- 3 cloves / 12g Garlic (whole or minced)
- 1 Tomato (200g)
- 2 cup / 500ml Water
- Optional
- ½ teaspoon / 0.5g Fennel
- 1 teaspoon / 1g Black pepper
How to make pig feet
- Heat lard or cooking oil in a pot. Add the diced onion and saute it until it gets a translucent, glassy look for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the pig’s feet and mix it well then cook it for 5 to 10 minutes until the skin gets some golden brown color.
- Add the paprika, parsley or celery leaves, garlic, tomato and Italian pepper.
- Add water to submerge all the feet to around 3/4. Place the lid on and simmer it on low heat for about 3 to 4 hours or until the meat peals off the bones easily. Mind to have enough water during the cooking period or else it may burn down.
- Remove the lid half an hour before finishing the cooking to reduce the excess water until the feet are only half or even less submerged.
Enjoy!
If pork feet was a joy check out some other mouthwatering happy feet that can be served at the table:
F.A.Q.
Can we marinate Pig’s Feet before cooking?
Yes, we can marinate the Pig’s Feet before cooking. After cleaning the pig’s feet, we can place them in a large container or a zip-top bag and add a marinade of our choice. Some common marinade options include a mixture of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, ginger, and spices. We let the pig’s feet marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to enhance the flavor.
How long does it take to cook Pig’s Feet?
Cooking time for Pig’s Feet can vary depending on the size and tenderness of the pig’s feet. Generally, it takes around 2 to 3 hours of simmering on low heat to cook the pig’s feet until they are tender and fully cooked. It is important to check the tenderness periodically and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
What can we serve with Pig’s Feet?
Pig’s Feet can be served with various side dishes to complement its flavors. Some popular options include mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, coleslaw, steamed vegetables, crusty bread, or even rice. The choice of side dishes depends on our personal preferences and the desired overall meal.
Can we store leftover Pig’s Feet?
Yes, we can store leftover Pig’s Feet. After the pig’s feet have cooled down, we should transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them. Properly stored, the leftover Pig’s Feet can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. If we want to store them for a longer period, we can freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 to 3 months.
What does pig feet taste like?
Pig feet tastes like pig. This pig feet tastes like any pork stew that’s made with onion and paprika. Pig’s feet texture resembles fried calamari but of course tastes nothing like that.
FitttZee
©
Pig's feet recipe | Pig trotters recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Lard or cooking oil
- 2 pieces Onion diced
- 1 piece Italian green pepper diced (can be hot)
- 4 Pig's feet halved
- 4 teaspoons Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Parsley or Celery leaves diced
- 3 cloves Garlic whole or minced
- 1 Tomato 200g
- 2 cup Water
- Optional
- ½ teaspoon Fennel
Instructions
- Heat lard or oil in a pot. Add the diced onion and saute it until it gets a translucent, glassy look for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the pig's feet and mix it well then cook it for 5 to 10 minutes until the skin gets some golden brown color.
- Add the paprika, parsley or celery, garlic, tomato and Italian pepper.
- Add water to submerge all the feet to around ¾. Place the lid on and simmer it on low heat for about 40 minutes or until the meat peals off the bones easily. Mind to have enough water during the cooking period or else it may burn down.
- Remove the lid half an hour before finishing the cooking to reduce the excess water until the feet are only half or even less submerged.
Pin now, Enjoy later!
Wow! Gorgeous looking piece of thing!
It is gorgeous tasting as well! It has a really nice gravy all around it!
It’s an excellent dish! The paprika really takes it to a next level!
I have a question….I have only used pig’s feet in the past for their gelatinous features so after you have cooked the pig’s feet according to this recipe, besides the bones, do you eat the skin or discard that and only eat the meat?
It doesn’t have much meat so it’s mainly tendons and skin but yes, you can eat everything except the bones. I admit that not everybody is into such delights 😀 but it’s tasty. I personally like it best with boiled potatoes, sauerkraut and bread. 😀 On keto just simply with sauerkraut and keto bread. :/
Thanks for the recipe otherwise I wouldn’t have known what to do with the pigs trotters i saw in my local butcher and impulse bought. They are in my slow cooker now.
Happy to hear you’ve found it useful! You may also want to check out the aspic until the weather is cool enough: https://www.suncakemom.com/meals/aspic-recipe-meat-jelly
Thanks For Sharing this Amazing Recipe. My Family Loved It. I will be sharing this Recipe with my Friends. Hope They will like it.
Really happy to see you enjoying it! Thanks!