Although dishes made from pork leg can be found in various cultures, the actual processing methods used in each region vary greatly. However, because the pork chop contains a lot of connective tissue and a thick skin, all recipes will generally require you to use a slow cooker method over low heat for a softer texture when eaten.
Ingredients
Braised Pork Legs (South American style)
For: 4-6 servings
- 4 pork legs, cut in half
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) salt
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 tbsp. (15 to 30 ml) chili powder
- 250 ml white vinegar
- 250 to 500 ml barbecue sauce
Pork Feet with Thick Soup (Chinese style)
For: 2-4 servings
- 2 pork legs, cut each into 4 to 6 pieces
- 1 tbsp. (15 ml) cooking oil
- 7 cm ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced
- 1 leek, take the white part
- 3 to 5 dried chilies
- 1 piece flower
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 tbsp. (45 ml) soy sauce
- 3 tbsp. (45 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. (15 ml) sugar
- 2 tsp. (10 ml) salt
Jelly from Pork's Feet (Eastern European style)
For: 4 servings
- 6 pork legs, cut in half
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) salt
- 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) ground black pepper
Step
Preparing the Pork Feet
Step 1. Rub the entire surface of the pork leg until it is clean
Wash each piece of pork leg thoroughly under running tap water, then scrub the surface with a vegetable brush to remove any adhering dust and dirt.
Dry each piece of pork leg with paper towels before moving on to the next step
Step 2. Burn the attached hair
Light a small, unscented candle, then hold each piece of pork leg over the emitting light while continuously turning it to burn off as much of the hair stuck to the skin as possible.
- If you have a gas stove, try turning it on medium heat and using the stove's flame, instead of a candle, to apply this method.
- Use very low temperatures, whichever method you choose. Using a fire that is too high runs the risk of scorching the pork! Make sure that your hands are far enough away from the stove or candle flame to reduce the risk of injury.
Step 3. Shave or remove any remaining hair
Observe the condition of the pig's feet. If there are still hairs left that don't burn, you can shave them off with a razor or remove them with tweezers.
- Although faster, the shaving method will only remove visible hair on the surface. On the other hand, plucking with tweezers can remove hair from the roots!
- The pork leg is ready to be processed into various dishes after the fur is cleaned.
Method 1 of 3: Making South American Braised Pork Legs
Step 1. Mix the pork leg with the various spices that have been prepared
Place the pork leg, onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, pepper, chili powder, and white vinegar in a large saucepan or dutch oven.
- Make sure the pork leg is clean and free of hair before processing.
- Use a spoon strong enough to stir the pork leg and all ingredients until well combined.
Step 2. Pour in the water
Pour enough water into the pot until the pork leg is submerged (at least, there should be about 5 cm from the surface of the pork leg to the surface of the water). Place the pot on the stove, and heat it over medium to high heat.
Bring water to a boil over medium to high heat
Step 3. Boil the pork leg over low heat for 2 to 3 hours
Once the water boils, reduce the heat, then cover the pot and boil the pork leg for the specified time until it is soft in texture.
- Watch the pork leg as it simmers. Every now and then, stir the pork leg and remove any foam that floats on the surface.
- Once cooked, the pork leg should be so soft that it slips off the bone easily.
Step 4. Warm the barbecue sauce
Just before serving the pork leg, pour the barbecue sauce into a separate saucepan and heat over low to medium heat.
- Wait for the sauce to warm up or form small bubbles on the surface, but don't let the sauce boil completely!
- Ideally, the barbecue sauce should warm up about 10 minutes before the end of the simmering time. If timing is difficult, wait until the pork leg is fully cooked before heating the sauce. However, don't forget to turn off the stove fire used to boil the pork leg so that the cooking process stops.
Step 5. Drain the pork leg and coat with sauce
Remove the pork leg using a slotted spoon, then coat it with the warmed barbecue sauce.
If the pan is large enough, coat the whole pork leg at the same time. If not, coat the pork legs with the barbecue sauce one at a time, then gradually transfer them to a serving plate
Step 6. Serve warm
Immediately serve the pork leg to get the best taste. If you want, you can serve it with additional barbecue sauce.
Method 2 of 3: Making Pork Legs with Chinese-style Thick Soup
Step 1. Boil the pork leg in a short time
Put the pork leg in a saucepan, and pour water over it. Then, bring the water to a boil over medium to high heat, and simmer the pork leg for 3 minutes.
- Pig feet must first be cleaned and cleaned before processing.
- The boiling process is necessary to prevent the unpleasant aroma and taste of pork from sinking into the gravy while the pork leg is cooking.
Step 2. Drain the water, and set the pork leg aside
After boiling for a while, take the pork leg with the help of tongs or a slotted spoon, set aside until it's time to process it.
Discard the boiled water. This cooking water should not be reused in later stages
Step 3. Heat the oil
Pour cooking oil into a large cast iron skillet and heat over medium to high heat for 1 minute.
- The oil is hot enough when it looks shiny and the texture becomes more fluid, so it can be moved all over the pan.
- Don't have a frying pan? You can also use a pan or a dutch oven.
Step 4. Saute the spices that have been prepared
Place the sliced ginger, garlic, and scallions into the hot oil. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add the dried chilies, hibiscus, and cloves. Saute all ingredients again for 2 minutes.
- The herbs and spices must be stirred constantly so they don't burn. Make sure you stir-fry until the aroma is fragrant and the flavors of each ingredient blend well.
- The amount of dried chili can be adjusted according to your taste. If you prefer a mild to moderate spiciness, use 5 dried chilies. Increase the amount if you want a stronger spicy taste.
Step 5. Add the pork leg and all the rest of the ingredients
Add the drained pork leg, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and salt to the pan. Then, pour enough water until the pork leg is slightly submerged.
Keep stirring until small bubbles form on the surface of the gravy
Step 6. Cook the pork leg over low heat until the texture is soft
Reduce the heat and cover the pot, then cook the pork leg for 2 hours or until it is so soft it is almost falling off the bone.
- Stir the pork leg and gravy every 10 to 15 minutes to prevent it from burning and/or sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Over time, the texture of the gravy will thicken. If the gravy already looks thick even though the meat is not cooked or is still hard, add 250 ml of water and continue the cooking process.
- If the texture of the gravy looks too runny when the pork leg is cooked, remove the lid from the pot and turn up the heat. Continue to boil until the amount of gravy is reduced and the texture is thickened.
Step 7. Serve warm
Pour the pork leg along with the gravy onto a serving plate, and enjoy while warm.
Method 3 of 3: Making Jelly from Pork Feet in Eastern Europe
Step 1. Boil the pork leg
Place the pork leg in a saucepan or dutch pan and pour water over it. Bring the water to a boil over medium to high heat, then simmer the pork leg for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Make sure the pork leg is clean and free of hair before processing.
- The boiling process is needed to remove the distinctive aroma and taste of pork that is less pleasant.
Step 2. Drain the boiled water
Let the pork leg stay in the pot, then pour in some new water to submerge it (there should be a distance of at least 2.5 to 5 cm from the surface of the pork leg to the surface of the water), then bring it back to a boil on the stove over medium to high heat.
Step 3. Boil the pork leg along with all the spices
Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to the pot and wait for the water to boil completely.
You should see some foam floating on the surface of the water afterwards. Take and remove the foam with a spoon
Step 4. Continue the process of boiling the pork leg on low heat until the texture is soft
Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Then, simmer the pork leg over low heat for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is so tender that it can come off the bone.
While the pork leg is simmering, you should constantly open the lid and remove the foam that has formed on the surface of the broth. Ideally, the color of the broth should be completely clear when the pork leg is cooked
Step 5. Remove the bones
Pour the contents of the pot into four serving bowls, then use tongs to scoop out and remove any remaining bones.
- Make sure each bowl contains an equal amount of meat and stock.
- Let the bowl sit at room temperature for a few moments before moving on to the next step.
Step 6. Put the bowl in the refrigerator
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the texture is more solid and jelly-like.
- Marrow, connective tissue, and skin that softens during the cooking process, will transform into natural gelatin for a supple jelly texture.
- How long the jelly will keep in the refrigerator will depend on the amount of water you use in the recipe.
Step 7. Serve cold
Remove the jelly from the refrigerator and enjoy chilled. If you want, you can serve it in individual portions right away or print it first, then slice it into individual portions when you're about to serve.
