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.
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.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I am planning on making it soon. I just wanted to verify the amount of pig’s feet. Is it 2.5 pounds (a little over 1 kg) or 4.4 pounds (2 kg).
Thank you so much for picking that out, Daisy. It should be 2.5 lbs and 1kg. We will revise the post.
Are the dried soybeans necessary? If I omit them, will it alter the taste or consistency of this dish?
Hi Justine, it does not alter the taste, but you might have to cook it longer :-)
In France and Italy, pig’s or veal’s trotters are also considered a delicacy…
Interesting…
Can I cook this dish using fresh/frozen soy beans? If so when would you add the soy beans as it probably would not take them as long to cook as reconstituted dry soybeans.
Hi Carol, you can use fresh/frozen soy beans and add them about 15 – 20 minutes before the dish is done (longer if you want them more well done, which is how I like them.)
I cook this dish yesterday, it was really very tasty. Thank you for the recipe. Simple and nice . I ate it for two days.
Yeahhhhh…this is one of my favorites!
Hey guys, I tried looking for 果皮, but came up short. I found it, but it is under the name 陈皮 (che2n pi2)。I am looking forward to making this recipe but in order to get the pig trotters, I should go to the market earlier. Anyway, thanks for this article. 新年快乐！！！
Hi Eric, 陈皮 is correct！The Chinese word 陈 means old, aged.
Right!!! But the two words together have a completely different meaning than each one separately. In Chinese Medicine 陈皮 refers to a dried tangerine/orange peel. That is one of the most enjoyable parts of learning Chinese….all those tricky things like that.
Making it right now as I type this. Smells great!
This recipe is awesome!!!! The only thing I would recommend is taking out the tangerine peel before it gets too soft when you begin simmering and taking out the anise seeds as well. Once it cooks down, the seeds will break apart and they are uncomfortable when they get stuck in your teeth. The liquid becomes a nice rich gravy that was perfect for rice. I am so grateful for having found this website. I currently live in China, so most of these items are at the neighborhood grocery store at Chinese prices ($2 bottles of Shaoxing wine). Looking forward to exploring more. Thanks, guys.
Thank you so much for your generous words, Eric!
Haha!! I loved that title!!!!!!!!!
I thought it would be because the food would be sooo good, you would fall in face first!!! Hahaha!
I am actually a veggie, so not going to try this one unfortunately, but I just looove reading all your posts and your recipes and photos are awesome.
Thanks for my first laugh of the day x
Georgina @mushypeacurry
Ah, I’ve just realised that the comment about face cream is only on my email!!!! Sorry peeps but this is what I got “This recipe may just replace your face cream.”
and I jumped over here to check it out and leave my comments :)
Wow, that is funny! LOL
When you say have your butcher cut them into chunks you mean across or through the bone? So an average size trotter should be cut into about how many pieces?
Hi Jack, about 8 pieces.
Thank you Judy. Like all of the recipes on your website this looks great. I am going to try it as soon as i can get to my butcher in Chinatown and buy some of the trotters.
Sounds like a good plan, Jack! I see trotters in the near future. :-)