Pickled pig's feet

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
6 Pig's feet without hocks; quartered
2 cups White wine
3 cups Red wine vinegar
3 quarts Water
⅓ pounds Carrots; unpeeled, quartered
1 Onion; unpeeled, quartered
4 Whole cloves
1 teaspoon Whole black peppercorns; cracked
1 teaspoon Juniper berries; bruised
¼ cup Fine sea salt
4 Whole bay leaves
4 Sprigs fresh thyme -or-
1 teaspoon Dried thyme
1 pounds Carrots; peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick (up to)
6 Bay leaves (depending on how aromatic they are)
6 Sprigs fresh herb (thyme; rosemary; sage or tarragon)

Directions

ASPIC

Place pig's feet, white wine, red wine vinegar and water in large nonreactive pot. Liquid should cover pig's feet by 3 inches; add more water if necessary.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, skimming every 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except for aspic), partially cover, and continue simmering for 2 hours. Do not let liquid boil or fat will emulsify and make stock cloudy.

With a slotted spoon or strainer, carefully remove feet, discarding any stray bones. (Don't worrk if they seem to be falling apart at this point; meat will firm up when chilled.) Set aside to cool for 1 hour.

Strain hot stock into a bowl, add sliced carrots and fresh herbs and set aside to cool, allowing fat to rise to the top. Discard cooked vegetables and herbs from stock.

Gently arrange cooled pig's feet in 1-gallon nonreactive container. (A glass bowl or jar will show dish best, but a crock pot or plastic bucket will do.) Skim fat off stock, then fish out carrots and herbs. Tuck these into pig's feet.

Pour stock through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a clean dish towel over pig's feet. If stock has set too much to pour, reheat just enough to melt.

Cover pig's feet and refrigerate overnight before serving. Will keep refrigerated several weeks as long as pig's feet are covered by aspic.

Serve with mustard, cornichons, bread and that bottle of beer.

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT, 1989,

"ARKANSAS GOURMET", HELEN AUSTIN FROM "AMERICAN CHARCUTERIE"

From a collection of my mother's (Judy Hosey) recipe box which contained lots of her favorite recipes, clippings, etc. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, .

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