German Jellied Pigs Feet Recipes

PORK HEAD CHEESE ('SCHWEINEKOPFSüLZE')

Steps:

• Place the carrots, celery root, leek, bouquet garni, and sachet in a large stockpot or pressure cooker. Cover with 8.5 cups (2 liters) of cold water and bring to a light simmer. Stir in 1/2 tablespoon of salt and add your pig head and knuckle to the broth. Make sure everything is submerged in the water. If not, add some additional water so that all the broth ingredients are covered.
• Cover your pot with a lid and let the broth simmer over the lowest possible heat for about 3 hours or until all the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. If using a pressure cooker, cook the broth on the high-pressure setting for 1 hour letting the pressure decrease naturally afterward.
• Remove the head and knuckle from the broth and set them aside to cool. Discard the vegetables, herbs, and spices and strain your broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Reduce the broth, uncovered, over high heat to about 1/3 of its original volume. You should be left with about 2.5 cups (600 mL) of broth. You can optionally refrigerate your broth and discard any fat that solidifies on the top. That way your head cheese won't have a small fat cap on top. I don't mind the fat cap and just leave the fat in the broth for a better taste.
• While the broth is reducing, slide all the meat, fat, and pork skin off the bones and cut into small pieces. Don't discard any of the skin or tendons. Everything that comes off the bones is edible and should make its way into the head cheese. Even the pig's nose and ears are perfectly edible.
• Heat your broth to just slightly below simmering. Season generously with white wine vinegar, sugar, and salt to taste. The broth will lose a lot of its flavor once it is chilled and gelatinized. You must overseason the broth. It should be slightly more intense than what you're comfortable with.
• Spoon about a tablespoon of broth on a small coffee plate and place it in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes. Check if the broth gelatinizes properly to your preferred firmness. If the broth jelly is too soft for your taste, soak 2-3 gelatine sheets in cold water for 10 minutes before stirring them into the hot but not boiling broth. Check again for gelatinization and continue adding gelatine until the meat jelly firms up to your preference.
• Add the meat, tendon, and skin pieces into your broth and stir well. Pour everything into a rectangular or round mold and place your head cheese in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to allow the broth to cool down and gelatinize. Once firm, the head cheese can be removed from the mold and sliced into serving-sized pieces. Serve chilled alongside some roasted potatoes or rustic bread.

HUNGARIAN KOCSONYAS SERTESCSULOK RECIPE - (3.1/5)

Steps:

• Put pigs feet into 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Throw away water. Wash off feet in cold water. Add another 2 quarts of cold water and the onions, carrots, garlic, paprika, salt and mixed spice. Cook for about 3 hours or until feet become tender. Keep skimming the water to keep the broth clear. Put feet into a serving dish that will fit into the refrigerator. Strain the broth and then pour over the feet, and chill. Sprinkle lightly with paprika and cayenne pepper. NOTE: If you like a very firm jelly or aspic, add some veal bones when you cook the feet. Serve with a good hearty bread, pickled peppers, good German beer, and a small decanter of good vinegar to sprinkle on feet if desired.

PICKLED PIG'S FEET I

Steps:

• Rinse feet well, pat dry with paper towels and place in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover and stir in 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer for about 4 to 5 hours or until the meat falls off of the bones.
• Remove meat from bones and place in a shallow dish or bowl. Set aside. Drain saucepan, reserving 2 cups of cooking liquid. In the same saucepan combine the reserved cooking liquid, remaining salt, vinegar, cloves, peppercorns, star anise and pickling spices. Bring to a boil and boil for 35 minutes.
• Strain liquid and reserve. Pour reserved liquid over the top of the meat. Cover and refrigerate. Chill for at least 10 hours before serving.

MOM'S NEW YEARS PIG'S FEET

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash pig feet in cold water and place into a large pot or Dutch oven. Add celery, onion, vinegar, red pepper flakes, seasoned salt, garlic, black pepper, and bay leaves to the feet; pour in water to cover.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until meat is tender and falling off the bones, about 2 hours.