I had a request from an expectant mother for the Chinese remedy given to mothers after the birth of their child and to help with milk production…Pickled Pig’s Feet.
When my SIL gave birth to little S, my Mom brought over batch of endless batch of these delicious trotters (…at least those first 2 or 3 were tasty but really, how many can one really eat in a month!) It didn’t bother my Mom in the least that SIL was afraid of the sight of former trotters of any animal origin. Mom’s solution was for me to pick out said trotters and eat them myself (…*belch*) leaving the brine, radish, eggs and ginger for SIL – no small feat 😉 when the resultant brine after simmering for more than an hour in vinegar is now a block of hard rubbery gelatin. Oh, those fond memories…I think there is still some gelatin stuck to the ceiling of the kitchen…
On a nutritional note, this is really a great replensihing ‘bone’ broth – rich in minerals, collagen, and protein. Think about it – the primary function of a being is it’s own survival. A Mom who just gave birth is depleted to say the least! If she stays depleted, she may not be able to produce much milk. Eating nourishing broths can quickly rebuild much needed minerals and protein. Once the mother is replenished, she can spare the nutrients for her baby.
Here is the recipe as adapted from Mom, Grace Young, Eileen Blonder and Annabel Low:
* Exported from MasterCook *
Pickled Pig’s Feet with Ginger
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
5 pounds pig’s feet — split and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 teaspoons sea salt
**Brine**
6 cups water
1 pound ginger — peeled and cut into 1 in chunks
20 fluid ounces chinese black vinegar — (hock naw mai cho)
21 fluid ounces chinese sweet black vinegar (teem ding teem cho) — may sub Balsamic vinegar
6 ounces rapadura or sucanat (more or less to taste)
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 pounds daikon radish — peeled and cut into 3/8″ half round slices
6-8 each hard boiled eggs with shells
In an 8 qt stainless steel or enamel pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with sea salt. Add pig’s feet and bring back to a boil – boil for 10 minutes.
Drain feet into colander and rinse feet well. Remove any hair or discoloration with a paring knife or shave with a disposable razor (my favorite part.)
Wash pot. Add 6 c water, ginger and regular black vinegar to pot and bring to a boil. Add pig’s feet, lower the heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Add daikon radish. Continue simmering until tender – another 15 to 20 minutes. Next, add sweet black vinegar, cider vinegar, sugar and hard boiled eggs – bring back to a boil and simmer another 20 minutes.
Cool. Pick out the eggs and peel. Refrigerate overnight. Remove hardened fat. Heat and serve with the peeled eggs.
Grace Young’s The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen
Ellen Blonder and Annabel Low’s Every Grain of Rice
Up next, a recipe from the Korean Tradition…
