Listen up, people! Don’t let the words, “pork trotters” (also known less delicately as pig’s feet) deter you from reading this post!
While it may be hard to believe, this porky extremity is actually a well-known Asian beauty secret. It’s very likely one of the reasons why many Asians have mastered looking much younger than their actual age! Specifically, it’s one of the reasons why Chinese women don’t shy away from hunkering down with a plate of braised pork trotters.
Before the recipe, I’ll tell you about a memorable encounter: once while brunching at dim sum, I saw an old Chinese couple sitting next to us. They each ordered a big bowl of braised tendon––nothing else––picked their bowls clean, paid for them, got up, and left. They came specifically for that one dish and one dish only.
But I wasn’t surprised one bit and quickly ordered a bowl for us. You see, it’s a well-known, age-old fact passed down from grandparents, to parents, to me, and from me to my girls that eating these foods are are good for the joints and skin, because they are loaded with collagen!
I don’t have to tell you that the beauty industry spends millions on advertising to sell collagen as the fountain of youth in beauty creams. What they won’t tell you is that instead of rubbing collagen onto your face, you can go straight to the source with some delicious pork! Asians can’t get enough. Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, and Koreans all enjoy a good pig foot–braised, boiled, served up in a soup, you name it.
Of course, the debate is still out as to whether eating collagen technically does help us stay young, but generations of beauty advice can’t all be for nothing, right? Let me just say that my mother LOVES this dish, and she looks great for her age–smooth silver grey hair and all!
Braised Pork Trotters: Recipe Instructions
After your soybeans have been soaked overnight, prepare your pork trotters. Have your butcher cut them into large chunks. Rinse them thoroughly, and place them in a pot filled with enough water to completely submerge them. Bring the water to a boil, letting it boil for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat, drain and rinse the pork trotters clean. Pat them dry, and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or large Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the ginger, the white parts of the scallions, the star anise, Chinese cinnamon stick, bay leaves, dried hot chili peppers and dried tangerine peel.
Let everything infuse for a few minutes, taking care not to let the aromatics burn. Now, carefully add the pork trotters, and brown them on both sides.
Time to drain the soybeans. Add the soybeans, along with the rock sugar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and water. Stir thoroughly, and cover. Let the pork trotters braise for 70-80 minutes on low heat until tender.
Be sure to stir periodically to prevent sticking. Towards the end of the cooking time, add salt to taste. Don’t prolong the cooking too much. In this case, “falling off the bone” is not what we want.
If there is still too much liquid at the end of your cooking time, just turn up the heat and cook off the liquid to the right consistency. You’ll want some thickened sauce at the end. Garnish with the green parts of the scallion, and serve.
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Recipe
Braised Pork Trotters with Soybeans
Ingredients
- 4 ounces dried soybeans (115g, soaked overnight)
- 2½ pounds pork trotters (about 1 kg)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4 slices ginger
- 4 scallions (chopped, with the white and green parts separated)
- 3 star anise
- 1 Chinese cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 dried hot chili peppers (optional)
- 1 piece dried tangerine peel
- 20 grams rock sugar
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 4 cups water
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- After your soybeans have been soaked overnight, prepare your pork trotters. Have your butcher cut them into large chunks. Rinse them thoroughly, and place them in a pot filled with enough water to completely submerge them. Bring the water to a boil, letting it boil for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat, drain and rinse the pork trotters clean. Pat them dry, and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the ginger, the white parts of the scallion, the star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, dried hot chili peppers and dried tangerine peel. Let everything infuse for a few minutes, taking care not to let the aromatics burn. Now, carefully add the pork trotters, and brown them on both sides.
- Time to drain the soybeans. Add the soybeans, along with the rock sugar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and water. Stir thoroughly, and cover. Let the pork trotters braise for 70-80 minutes on low heat until tender. Be sure to stir periodically to prevent sticking. Towards the end of the cooking time, add salt to taste. Don’t prolong the cooking too much. In this case, “falling off the bone” is not what we want.
- If there is still too much liquid at the end of your cooking time, just turn up the heat and cook off the liquid to the right consistency. You’ll want some thickened sauce at the end. Garnish with the green parts of the scallion, and serve.
