Yooper Food

Pickled Pig’s Feet

Pickled Pig's Feet

• 12 pig's feet
• 4 fresh red chile peppers
• ¼ cup salt
• 4 cups white vinegar

In a large stainless steel pot, place pig's feet and enough water to cover. Boil feet two hours or until tender; drain. Rinse feet in hot water to remove excess fat. Remove as many bones as you can. Put 1 chili pepper and 3 pig's feet in each one quart jar. In a separate bowl, mix salt and vinegar together. Pour vinegar mixture over pig's feet to cover. Seal jars and refrigerate for at least 3 days to 1 week before eating.

Pickled Pig's Feet

• 6 pig's feet, quartered, without hocks
• 1 lb. carrots, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1/3 lb. carrots, quartered, unpeeled
• 1 onion, quartered, unpeeled
• 1 tsp. juniper berries, bruised
• 4-6 whole bay leaves
• 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 quarts water
• 2 cups white wine
• 3 cups red wine vinegar
• 3 quarts water
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns, cracked
• ¼ cup fine sea salt

Place the pig's feet, white wine, red wine vinegar and water in large pot. The liquid should cover the pig's feet by 3 inches; add more water if necessary. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a half hour, skimming every ten minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (except for aspic, the sliced carrots, and the thyme). Partially cover, and continue simmering for two hours. Do not let the liquid boil, or fat will emulsify and make the stock cloudy. With a slotted spoon or strainer, carefully remove the feet

Aspic - A savory jelly based on fish or meat stock used as a mold for meats or vegetables.

, discarding any stray bones. Don't worry if the feet seem to be falling apart at this point, as the meat will firm up when chilled. Set aside to cool for an hour. Strain hot stock into a bowl, add sliced carrots and the thyme, and set aside to cool, allowing the fat to rise to the top. Discard the cooked vegetables and herbs from stock. Gently arrange cooled pig's feet in one-gallon container (a glass bowl or jar will show the dish best, but a crock pot or plastic bucket will do). Skim fat off stock, then fish out carrots and herbs. Tuck these into pig's feet. Pour stock through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a clean dish towel over pig's feet. If stock has set too much to pour, reheat just enough to melt. Cover the pig's feet and refrigerate overnight before serving. Will keep refrigerated several weeks as long as pig's feet are covered by aspic.

Pickled Pig's Feet, Spicy

• 6 pig's feet
• 1 egg in shell (testing only)
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cups sliced carrots
• 4 quarts water
• 5 bay leaves
• 1¼ cup salt
• 1 tsp. saltpeter
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 cups white vinegar
• 1 hot dried red pepper
• 4 whole cloves
• 6 whole allspice

Scrub the pig's feet under cold running water, then dry and set aside. Put about 10 cups of water into a large bowl, add 1 cup salt, and stir until dissolved. Place the egg (in the shell) into the water; if it doesn't float, add more salt until it does, stirring to dissolve as before. Remove the egg. Add the pig's feet, the saltpeter, 3 of the bay leaves, the thyme and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add more water, if necessary, to completely cover the feet. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Drain and add remaining 6 cups of water. Add onions, carrots, vinegar, remaining bay leaves and pepper, red pepper, cloves and allspice. Bring it to a boil, lower heat and simmer for two hours, or until tender. Transfer the pig's feet to a bowl, or large jars, and pour cooking liquid over them. Cool, cover and refrigerate.

Pickled Pig's Feet, Souse

Scrape and wash the pig's feet, soak them in cold water far two hours, wash and scrape again, then split the feet lengthwise. Cook the hocks in salted water flavored with vinegar, onion, sage, peppercorns and a few cloves. When done, pack the feet in small crocks, and cover with the water in which they were cooked. This liquid will form a gelatinous mass. Place a lid on the crock and keep in a cold place until needed for the table.

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