What Do Pigs Feet Taste Like? The Secrets That You Did Not Know Before

Yep! We eat pig’s feet! I use them in my dinner stew recipes, and every so often I roast them for barbecues.

Unfortunately, many people haven’t even tried them once. So, what do pigs feet taste like? What are the health benefits of pig feet?

Find out below!

What are Pig Feet?

Pig feet are a special part of the pig, loaded with bones, tendons, succulent fat, and cartilages. 

Typically, pig feet are considered the bottom of the leg that is firm and crispy without any lean meat. But when it comes to pickled pig feet, some producers may add the above part, which contains the lean.  

What is a pig’s foot called with other names? They are also called pig foot, pig trotter, or sometimes pettitoe. Pig feet, especially the pickled version, are popularly consumed across the Southern United States, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, and in Scandinavian cuisine.  

What Do Pigs Feet Taste Like?

Despite retaining the original pork flavor, pig feet have a more fatty and less meaty taste due to their different texture. Typically, they are separated into two types: a fresh one and a pickled one.

• Fresh pig’s feet: A fresh pig foot is fatty and crispy as well as crunchy when cooked. When it cooks longer, such as stew, the mixture becomes smooth. The tendons will become soft jellies, and the thick skin turns so soft. 
• Pickled pigs feet: A pickled pig foot often comes with saltwater and vinegar added. So, to answer what pickled pig’s feet taste like, I would say it depends on the number of additional materials, but it won’t lose the original pig’s feet taste. In most cases, people find pickled pig’s feet to taste salty and sour, but the flavor is still fantastic. Some even say it is like porchetta. 

Are Pig Feet Good For You?

Since it is loaded with fat and skin, you may wonder is pig feet healthy to eat? Surprisingly, it contains a low level of fat calories but alot of protein and collagen content.

For example, 85 grams of simmered pig foot packed with 197 calories, 19 grams protein, 14 grams fat, and non-carbs involved. 

Properly eating pig’s feet not only protects your skin from growing wrinkles, but relieves joint pain and benefits in gaining muscle as well. 

How Do You Eat Pigs Feet?

There are a bunch of options to cook pigs’ feet. You can boil, stew, braise, or crisp them in a skillet. They are also sometimes used at BBQ’s as well.

Now, let’s go through some popular recipes to deal with pig trotters.

1. Boiled Pig Feet

This is a traditional way to eat pig trotters originating from South America. Easy but delicious! 

Ingredients for 3 – 4 servings:

• 3 pounds pig feet, split up
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 200ml vinegar
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• Water to cover all ingredients

Step-by-step guide

• Give the feet a good washing under running water. Then, use a razor to discard all the hair and debris. 
• Place the pig’s feet and all the ingredients into a suitable pot. Combine them well by hand or with a durable mixing spoon.
• Add water to cover the mixture, and cook them over medium heat. Simmer for about 2 – 3 hours, or until the feet get tender and fall off the bones.
• Enjoy!

It is served well right away with homemade potato salad and green veggies, or let it freeze and consume with barbecue sauce the next day. 

2. Braised Pig Feet

Braised pettitoe is smooth, juicy, and flavorful. They are cooked in a slightly sweet and savory master sauce until the mixture gets smooth, and all edible parts fall from the bone.

Ingredients for 3 servings

• 3 pounds pig trotters, split up
• 1 medium ginger, sliced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅔ cup cooking wine or beer
• 6 tbsp soya sauce
• 8 star anises
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp salt
• Oil
• Water

Step-by-step guide

• Remove all the feet’ hair and debris. Then, give them an additional cleaning by briefly burning them on fire.
• Wash them devotedly and cut them into small chunks.
• Quickly boil the pig feet with water, green onion, and ginger for 5 minutes to discard remaining odors and impurities. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a skillet. Cook onion, ginger, and garlic over medium heat until fragrant. Then place boiled pig feet chunks into and briefly stir-fry the mixture for some minutes.
• Add the rest of the seasonings into the skillet, combine them well, and then add water to cover all ingredients.
• Place the lid and simmer for about 1 hour until the texture is smooth, and the sauce gets thicker.
• Serve with mashed potatoes or hot rice and green vegetables. 

In China, people have it on both casual days and special occasions, particularly for the Chinese New Year.

How To Cook Pig Feet In A Pressure Cooker?

We’ve gone through the two most popular ways to cook pig feet, but you may notice that they take a bit of time to cook. Hence, you may think of cooking pig trotters in a pressure cooker.

Typically, a pressure cooker at the high mode can lower cooking time down to half for the same recipe. For example, the braised recipe above would take about 30 minutes to get smooth and fall off the pig feet’ bones.

Take a look at this video if you’re curious about the pressure cooker way to go with the braised recipe.