Pigs' Feet
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Clean the pig's feet and soak them in mild brine until properly cured.
Steam the cured feet, then remove, split, and trim them, discarding any hard or tough pieces.
Pickle
Place the feet in barrels or jars, covering them with vinegar.
Ensure all wooden containers are sealed to prevent vinegar contact with wood.
Check the containers regularly to ensure the vinegar hasn't leaked out.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Pigs' feet
- Provide the meat, skin and collagen that give the finished pickled texture.
- Brine
- Cures the feet with salt, seasoning the meat and firming its texture before pickling.
- Vinegar
- Its acidity preserves the feet and gives the pickled flavour that defines the dish.
The step that matters
Covering the feet with vinegar. The acid in vinegar preserves the meat, but only where it fully contacts the feet. Any piece left exposed to air can spoil, so the feet must stay covered.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More pickled pig's feet recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.