Braised Pig’s Feet are tender, juicy, and flavorful – cooked low and slow in a rich sauce. Pig feet or pig trotters are considered one of the most delicious parts of pork. My family makes this recipe for regular weekdays and special occasions like Chinese New Year. Serve them with mashed potatoes and green vegetables for an amazing meal!
Also known as pig’s trotters, pig feet have thick skin and connective tissues. Sometimes hocks are attached as well. They contain little meat, but a lot of gelatin in the skin and bones. They are used in various dishes around the world such as in China and Africa. There are many different ways to cook them like a stove-top, pressure cooker, slow cooker, and even sous vide. My favorite is cooking them on the stove-top – it’s the easiest way to cook these pork feet, and they are full of flavor!
The pig’s feet are braised in a rich and flavorful sauce. After boiling the trotters in the water, just dump all the ingredients in a pot. All this recipe requires is patience – the slow cooking process will make the most tender and delicious pork feet!
What Do Pig’s Feet/Trotters Taste Like?
They taste like other parts of the pork except that they have a different texture – smooth and rich, but not greasy. They might be of an acquired taste for some people.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Pig’s Feet: You’ll need to clean them thoroughly and remove the hair before cooking.
- Soy Sauce: It adds a nice saltiness and umami flavor. I used the combination of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, which adds a beautiful deeper color.
- Vegetable Oil: It has a high smoke point so don’t substitute with extra virgin olive oil.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best result. You can also sub garlic powder.
- Ginger: It adds great flavor to the dish. Remove the skin and cut it into thin pieces. Alternatively, you can use ginger powder.
- Green Onion: Adds a nice flavor and texture to the dish.
- Cooking Wine: Braising with cooking wine enhances the dish by creating a more flavor sauce. You can substitute beer.
- Star Anises: It’s a spice that’s used in many Chinese dishes. It adds a warm and comforting flavor to the dish. You can find them at the local Chinese grocery stores or order online from Amazon.
- Sugar: It helps to sweeten the sauce. You can use regular sugar or brown sugar.
- Salt: I used regular table salt, and you can use coarse salt or sea salt.
- Water
How To Cook Pig Feet
1. Remove the hair and cut them into smaller chunks.
2. Add cold water and pig feet to a large saucepan or pot. (Make sure the pig feet are submerged.) Add ginger and green onion. Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes, and drain the water.
3. In a wok or skillet over medium heat, add oil, garlic, and onion. Stir fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add pig feet chunks, sugar, star anises, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine to the skillet.
5. Then add water to make sure the liquid covers the pork feet completely.
6. Bring to boil, and then lower the heat. Cover the lid and simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour until pork feet have become completely tender.
7. Remove the lid. If the sauce is not thick enough, turn the heat to medium-high, stir-fry until the sauce has thickened.
8. Season with salt and serve immediately.
Tips And Tricks
- It’s important to add the pig feet to the COLD water, bring them to boil and cook for 5 minutes before braising. This will help to remove the odors.
- It’s important to give it enough time to braise the pig feet. Be patient.
- Do not add salt at the beginning of the braising as it may cause a chewy texture.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve pig’s feet with side dishes like potato salad, cornbread, pasta, asparagus, green beans or carrots.
How To Store Pig Feet
Prior to cooking, you can store pig feet tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer periods, you can freeze them for up to 3 months or even longer if vacuum-sealed.
Once cooked, store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How To Reheat Pig Feet
You can reheat pig’s feet in a skillet or saucepan with a lid. Add the pig’s feet and any sauce they might be in along with a ½ to 1 cup of cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until hot all the way through.
How To Make Pig Feet Ahead Of Time?
It’s easy to make pig feet up to 3 days ahead of time. Simply follow the recipe to cook the pig’s feet until tender. Let them return to room temperature and place in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition and Health Benefits
Pig’s feet are loaded with collagen protein and low fat content. It helps prevent wrinkles and enhance skin elasticity. As a result, it’s also called “beauty food” in China.
FAQ
Where to Buy Pig’s Feet?
You can find pig’s feet at most local Chinese grocery stores. Alternatively, order them from a butcher shop.
Can You Cook Pig’s Trotters in A Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can use this recipe and cook the pig feet in a slow cooker. Instead of braising them on the stove, you can cook them in a crockpot on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours until the trotter’s skin becomes tender and soft.
Can You Cook Pig’s Feet in A Pressure Cooker?
To cook them in a pressure cooker, you’ll need to add 1.5 cups of chicken stock or water to the pot. Close the lid and pressure cook at High for 30 minutes, and full natural release (15-20 minutes). The pork feet cooked in a pressure cooker will be more tender.
Are Pork Feet Good For You?
Pig’s feet are considered to be good for your skin as they are loaded with collagen, which helps prevent wrinkles and aging.
Why Does It Take So Long to Cook Pig Feet?
Pig feet have connective tissue and thick skin that take a long time to break down and become tender. With insufficient cooking time, this connective tissue will result in a chewy texture that is difficult to eat.
Can I Bake Pig Feet in the Oven?
Yes, you can bake pig feet in the oven; however, they taste better if boiled for 2 to 3 hours beforehand. Then you can transfer them to a roasting pan to bake for 45 minutes at 350°F until crispy on the outside.
More Recipes You May Like
If you tried this recipe, let me know how your dish turns out in the comments below!
Easy Pork Feet Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds pig’s feet
- 1 inch ginger sliced
- 1 green onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 1/3 cup cooking wine (you can also use beer)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce I used 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce and 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 star anises
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
- water as needed
Instructions
- Remove the hair and cut them into smaller chunks. Rinse them thoroughly before cooking.
- Add cold water and pig feet to a large saucepan or pot. (Make sure the pig feet are submerged with water.)
- Add ginger and green onion. Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes, and drain the water.
- In a wok or skillet over medium heat, add oil, garlic, and onion. Stir fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add pig feet chunks, star anises, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, and sugar to the skillet.
- Then add water to make sure the liquid covers the pork feet completely.
- Bring to boil, and then lower the heat. Cover the lid and simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour until pork feet have become completely tender.
- Remove the lid. If the sauce is not thick enough, turn the heat to medium-high, stir-fry until the sauce has thickened.
- Taste test and add salt to your taste. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- It’s important to add the pig feet to the COLD water, bring them to boil and cook for 5 minutes before braising. Don’t skip this step as this will help to remove the odors from the meat.
- To cook the pig feet in a pressure cooker: you’ll need to add 1.5 cups of chicken stock or water to the pot. Close the lid and pressure cook at High for 30 minutes, and full natural release (15-20 minutes). The pork feet cooked in a pressure cooker will be more tender.
- To cook the pig feet in a crockpot: Instead of braising them on the stove, you can cook them in a crock pot on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours until the trotter’s skin becomes tender and soft.
Nutrition
Sharon H. says
Hi Izzy,
I am in my kitchen cooking a pot of trotters now. I thawed them out overnight and started cooking around 9:00 am.
We usually purchase them frozen at a local Asian market.
I really like this recipe and with fall coming here in Virginia, I’m sure I’ll make it frequently.
Thank you so much for the information.
Sharon
Izzy says
Hi Sharon, glad that you like the recipe
Debbie Florio says
Hi Izzy, I want to make this recipe soon. I have a supply of pigs feet on hand because; I over bought when I needed them for a Greek recipe. This looks amazing! My question is; can I use Chinese 5 spice instead of the the star anise? That’s what I have on hand.
Izzy says
Hi Debbie, you can definitely use Chinese 5 spice for this recipe. It will taste great!
Debbie Florio says
OMG, I just made this and it is beyond delicious. The sauce is so delicate and flavorful,, with many layers which is amazing when you consider the limited ingredients.
I buy my pigs feet, which are frozen and good quality, only issue is that they only split them in half, , so it was up to me to chop into smaller pieces. They were a little mangled but still delicious. My husband and I loved this so much I’m investing in a manual bone saw. I see this as a recipe I will be making often in the future.
Debra says
How did the pig feet turn to red in color
Izzy says
Hi Debra, if you use dark soy sauce, you’ll get the red color.
Edwin says
Hi Izzy,
What is the dark soy sauce brand used in this Recipe ?
Thank you.
Terry says
Do u know how t Braun pig feet i would know how
Walterlene says
It was delicious,we had it with whipped potatoes and brussel sprouts.We gonna have the rest today with rice.We had 6lbs of pig feet.I wrote down the recipe,and I want to use it with pork belly next.It was nice and simple and favored just right. Thank You for a great recipe.Now I can make it myself.I live in Houston, Texas, you can find everything everything here in Texas.
Izzy says
Thanks for sharing your experience.
polymnia says
Delicious! A discovery!
PM says
After initial boiling, slow cook in inexpensive box quality white wine, ginger and garlic 4 hours. easy-peasy