← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 2.2 kg Pig trotters (pork feet or hocks), split or cut into pieces by the butcher
• 1 tbsp instant coffee
• 1.5 l Water
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 250 ml soju, sake or dry sherry
• 180 ml Soy sauce
• 120 ml rice syrup, honey or golden syrup
• 4 tbsp Sugar
• 1 Onion, halved, skin on
• 1 Apple, halved
• 5 cm piece Ginger, halved
• 1 whole garlic bulb, halved crossways
• 4 Spring onion, halved
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 5 Cloves
• 2 Bay leaves
• 3 Dried chillies
• 1 lettuce leaves, to serve
• 2 tbsp salted shrimp, for dipping (optional)

Method

1. Soak the trotters in plenty of cold water for 2 hours, changing the water once, to draw out the blood.
2. Cover them with fresh water, stir in the coffee and boil for 10 min. Drain, rinse well and scrape or singe off any stray hairs.
3. Put the trotters in a large pot with all the braise ingredients; top up with water if needed so they are just covered. Bring to the boil, then simmer on low, partly covered, for 2 hours, turning every 30 min, until the meat is soft enough to pull from the bone.
4. Uncover and simmer for 20 min more, spooning the liquid over the trotters, until the skin is dark and glossy and the liquid has reduced.
5. Lift the trotters out and let them cool for 20 min, so the meat firms up a little for slicing.
6. Cut the meat and skin off the bones in large pieces and slice 5 mm thick. Serve warm or at room temperature with lettuce, sliced garlic and chillies, salted shrimp and ssamjang.

Tips

• The coffee adds deep colour and takes away any porky smell; it does not taste of coffee.
• Chill leftovers overnight: the collagen sets the meat firm so you can slice it very thin, then let it come to room temperature to serve.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Seonkyoung Longest FairPrice Maangchi