Name: Pig Trotters in Ginger Vinegar
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 1kg pig trotters; 5 cups of filtered water (adjust as needed); 2 tablespoons mirin; ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari; 1/2 cup black vinegar; 1/2 tablespoon unrefined sea salt; 1/3 cup honey; 5 cm peeled ginger, thinly sliced; 1 spring onion, sliced to garnish; toasted sesame seeds, to garnish; For the seasoning pouch:; 1/2 apple, cleaned, cored, and cut into chunks; 4 large jujubes (Chinese Red Dates); 4 garlic cloves, cut into halves; 1/2 tablespoon peeled ginger, thinly sliced; 1/2 medium-sized onion, cut into chunks; 3 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths; 1 star anise; 1 cinnamon stick; 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

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Learn how to make pig trotters in ginger vinegar, a traditional and nourishing postpartum dish that’s easy to make ahead and freeze. This recipe will show you how to prepare, cook, and serve this sweet and sour healing dish with simple ingredients.

Aromatic braised pig trotters are one of those dishes that I was both intimidated and intrigued by when I first learned about the postpartum recovery traditions in traditional Chinese medicine. When I lived in Sydney, I was surrounded by a large Asian community and I often saw pig feet hanging in the butchers’ shops. I found it rather confronting, to be honest! But the descriptions of this postpartum dish as soothing, nourishing, comforting, sweet, sour and aromatic had me curious enough to try it for my first postpartum recovery. And true to the accounts of others, I fell in love with it. I can’t say it’s the kind of dish I would want to make outside of the postpartum period. But in those early days when you are sleep-deprived, experiencing waves of deep hunger and recovering from birth, its rich gelatinous texture and aromatic broth hit the spot.

Like many of my other postpartum nourishing recipes, this recipe was originally inspired by “The First 40 Days” by Amely Greevan, Heng Ou, and Marisa Belger. Something that I appreciate about the authors of this book is that they intentionally made the recipes very simple so that they were easy to make with not too many extra ingredients. But I have an absolute love for strange ingredients and medicinal cooking and when I was preparing to make this dish for my current postpartum period, I discovered the Korean traditional dish of “Jokbal”, which is braised pig trotters with a very long list of ingredients.

So I have modified the original recipe to be a little bit more complex and well-rounded with aromatic herbs and some more of a medicinal slant, yet hopefully have kept it simple enough to inspire you to create it for your postpartum recovery.

The Main Ingredients and Their Benefits

Pig Trotters

Pig trotters are the star of this dish, and they are not as hard to find as you might think. You can ask your local butcher to save some for you, especially if they butcher their meat on-site. I’m lucky enough to have a butcher in my country town who is familiar with all the Asian cuts of meat and he was happy to help me out. Ideally, you want the trotter and the bottom half of the leg, as there is more meat and protein on this cut. But if you can only get trotters, they will still be delicious.

Black Vinegar

Black vinegar is a key ingredient that gives this dish its distinctive sweet and sour taste. It also has a slightly aromatic quality that enhances the flavour of the broth. You can find it at any Asian grocery store, or online. If you want to keep things super simple, you could just use black vinegar and thinly sliced ginger and skip the seasoning pouch. But I highly recommend adding the seasoning pouch, as it takes this dish to another level.

Chinese Red Dates (Jujubes)

Chinese red dates, also known as jujubes, are a quintessential postpartum medicinal food in traditional Chinese medicine. They are calming to the nervous system and the spirit, and they promote rest and recovery. They also add a natural sweetness to the broth, balancing out the sourness of the vinegar.

Ginger

Ginger is used in abundance in this dish, and for good reason. It is a warming circulatory stimulant that helps to ease after-birth pains, reduce inflammation and promote healing. It also settles digestion and adds a lovely spicy note to the seasoning pouch.

How to Prepare the Dish and Some Tips and Tricks

Preparing the Pig Trotters

The first step is to prepare the pig trotters by soaking them in water for at least 20 minutes. This will help to remove any impurities and blood from the meat.

Then, drain the water and transfer the trotters to a large pot. Cover them with fresh water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. This is a traditional way of cleaning the meat and making it more tender. You will see some foam floating to the top and the water will have a greyish tinge. After 20 minutes, pour the trotters into a colander and rinse them in cold water until the water runs clear.

Making the Seasoning Pouch

While the trotters are boiling, you can make the seasoning pouch with aromatic herbs and spices. If you have a muslin pouch, you can use that. If not, you can use a square of cheesecloth and tie it off with some kitchen string. The seasoning pouch will add a lot of flavour and depth to the broth, so don’t skip this step!

Simmering the Trotters in Vinegar

Once the trotters are clean and rinsed, put them back in the pot and add enough filtered water to just cover them. Then, add mirin, soy sauce, salt, ginger, honey, black vinegar and the seasoning pouch. Cover the pot and simmer for one hour over low heat. You want it to be gently bubbling away, not boiling.

After one hour, take off the lid and turn the trotters over. Make sure that the seasoning pouch is well submerged in the broth. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another hour, covered. To check if the meat is well cooked, poke it with a bamboo skewer. You want the meat to be almost falling off the bone. If not, and it still feels tough, continue cooking and check regularly.

For the final 15 minutes, take off the lid and boil vigorously for 10 minutes, ladling broth over the trotters.

Cooling and Freezing

Take the trotters out of the pot and allow them to cool slightly. Then, divide them up into portions of three to four pieces of meat per serving, with a nice ladle of broth. Freeze them in freezer-safe containers or bags, ready for your postpartum period.

Serving Suggestions

This dish is delicious to serve with steamed rice, kimchi, soft-boiled eggs and a side of nourishing seaweed soup for a complete postpartum meal. Or for a more simple version, serve over rice and top with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onion.

Pig Trotters in Ginger Vinegar

Yield: 5 serves

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This is a classic Chinese dish that is often eaten by women after giving birth, as it is believed to help with recovery and nourishment. The pig trotters are braised in a sweet and sour broth with ginger, vinegar, and a bundle of herbs and spices. The result is a tender and gelatinous meat that melts in your mouth, with a rich and complex flavour. You can make this dish ahead of time and freeze it for later, or enjoy it fresh with some rice and vegetables.

Ingredients

1kg pig trotters
5 cups of filtered water (adjust as needed)
2 tablespoons mirin
¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
1/2 cup black vinegar
1/2 tablespoon unrefined sea salt
1/3 cup honey
5 cm peeled ginger, thinly sliced
1 spring onion, sliced to garnish
toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
For the seasoning pouch:
1/2 apple, cleaned, cored, and cut into chunks
4 large jujubes (Chinese Red Dates)
4 garlic cloves, cut into halves
1/2 tablespoon peeled ginger, thinly sliced
1/2 medium-sized onion, cut into chunks
3 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Instructions

Prepare the pig trotters by soaking them in water for at least 20 minutes. This will help to remove any impurities and blood from the meat.

Drain the water and transfer the trotters to a large pot. Cover them with fresh water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. This is a traditional way of cleaning the meat and making it more tender.
After 20 minutes, pour the trotters into a colander and rinse them in cold water until the water runs clear.
While the trotters are boiling, make the seasoning pouch with all the listed ingredients.
Once the trotters are clean and rinsed, put them back in the pot and add enough filtered water to just cover them.
Add mirin, soy sauce, salt, honey, black vinegar and the seasoning pouch. Cover the pot and simmer for one hour over low heat. You want it to be gently bubbling away, not boiling.
After one hour, take off the lid and turn the trotters over. Make sure that the seasoning pouch is well submerged in the broth. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another hour, covered.
To check if the meat is well cooked, poke it with a bamboo skewer. You want the meat to be almost falling off the bone. If not, and it still feels tough, continue cooking and check regularly.
For the final 15 minutes, take off the lid and boil vigorously for 10 minutes, ladling broth over the trotters.
Take the trotters out of the pot and allow them to cool slightly. Then, divide them up into portions of three to four pieces of meat per serving, with a nice ladle of broth.
Freeze them in freezer-safe containers or bags, ready for your postpartum period.
To serve, reheat the trotters in a pot or microwave until hot. Serve with steamed rice, kimchi, soft boiled eggs and a side of seaweed soup for a complete postpartum meal, or simply top with toasted sesame seeds and spring onion for a more simple version.

Notes

You can find pig trotters at any Asian grocery store or butcher that sells Asian cuts of meat. You can also ask your local butcher to save some for you if they butcher their meat on-site.
Black vinegar is a key ingredient that gives this dish its distinctive sweet and sour taste. It also has a slightly aromatic quality that enhances the flavour of the broth. You can find it at any Asian grocery store or online.
Jujubes are dried red dates that are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine as a postpartum food. They are calming to the nervous system and the spirit, and they promote rest and recovery. They also add a natural sweetness to the broth, balancing out the sourness of the vinegar. You can find them at any Asian grocery store or online.
You can adjust the amount of water, vinegar, honey and salt to suit your taste preferences. You can also add more or less ginger, depending on how spicy you like it.
You can make this dish ahead of time and freeze it for up to 3 months. It will keep well in the freezer and reheat easily when you need it.

Pig Trotters in Ginger Vinegar: A Simple and Flavorful Recipe for Postpartum Recovery