Pig Feet with Peppers

(click to enlarge)	Pig Feet with Peppers China - Szechuan / Hunan
(click to enlarge)	Serves: Effort: Sched: DoAhead:	6 app *** 4 hr Yes		A superb appetizer for porkophiles - they can be served hot with sauce or cold. Be aware, hot with sauce these are delicious but very messy - finger bowls and stacks of paper napkins are in order. Cold plain or with dips (Note-4 ) they are much more manageable but still not quite the thing you want for an elegant white tablecloth event. If you're going without the sauce, boil it down anyway, it's delicious with other meats and vegetables.

*
*
*
*
*
*

6
a/r
a/r
tt
1/2
1/2
1
1/4
----
lrg
lrg

#

in
c
t
c
---

Pig Feet (1)
Oil (2)
Water
Chili, hot (3)
Ginger
Soy Sauce, light
Salt
Rice Wine
--- Option
Bell Pepper, green
Bell Pepper, red

Wash PIG FEET to remove bone chips and dry thoroughly.
Heat OIL very hot in a kadhai, wok or other suitable frying vessel and fry Pig Feet in batches until lightly browned all over - as evenly as you can get with something so irregular in shape. Keep the oil fairly shallow for good browning. Drain well and put in a pot.
Add Water to the pot until Pig Feet are just covered. Add HOT CHILIS sliced in half lengthwise, GINGER sliced medium, Soy Sauce, Salt and Rice Wine. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender - about 2 hours. They should hold their shape but bones should pull apart easily. If you will be serving them cold cook just a touch softer as they will stiffen.
IF you will be serving them warm with sauce, keep Pig Feet warm while you de-fat the liquid (use your gravy separator) and boil it down to about 1/3 for sauce. I like just a sprinkle of black pepper in it too. cut the BELL PEPPERS into narrow stips, heat a little of the oil very hot and stir fry over high flame until crisp tender (a little charing is good). Plate Pig Feet, garnish with Bell Pepper strips and ladle some sauce over.
IF you will be serving them chilled, just drain Pig Feet well and refrigerate. Boil down the sauce for other uses.

NOTES:

Pig Feet: are now widely available in ethnic markets in Southern California (except Jewish and Islamic of course), they are commonly already cut into pieces and shrink wrapped in plastic trays. If you find them whole have the butcher saw them in half lengthwise and once or twice across depending on size (4 or 6 pieces).
Oil: Chinese recipes call for very little oil and depend on rendered fat for frying. Our American pig feet are too lean to render fat so we need some oil. I use Olive Pomace oil for its high smoke point and neutral flavor and durability. Keep the oil fairly shallow to promote browning.
Chilis: here you can control the hotness to your comfort level. One large Seranno makes the sauce moderately hot by Southern California standards. See my Chili Page for details.
Dips: I admit to eating these mostly plain, but grated horseradish, hot mustard and rice vinegar with a little salt all work well.
U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch