Pork Nuggets!

[lorisunshine]

Although I am anticipating a collective shudder of the American palate, I nevertheless have to share one of my Grandmothers favorite receipes.
Pork feet are a much misunderstood portion of the pig. It is not nearly as greasy as most people assume. The majority of the fat is simmered out and the rest is pure "collagen". It is so good for your skin and your bones. O.K. here it goes:


About 12 young pigs’ feet halved.
1 whole onion, 1 bay leaf, crushed garlic cloves, 1 cut up carrot, a handful of leek tops, teaspoon of pepper corns.

Put in large stock pot and fill with enough water to cover.
Simmer gently until the meat almost falls off the bone.
Cool the whole pot until you can handle the feet. Scrape off all the meat, skin and connective tissue and set aside on a cookie sheet and chill the pieces for a couple of hours or overnight.

Add salt and pepper to the meat and bread the pieces individually and slowly fry them in a pan of grape seed oil in batches. I put them on layers of paper towel and keep them warm in the oven.

I like to serve this “delicacy” with warm potato salad and Endive salad.
Wash and dry the endive and julienne into very fine strips.
I like to make a simple vinaigrette. The delicate tartness of the salad is a wonderful juxtaposition to the slight sweetness of the pork.

The guys go absolutely nuts when I serve that for the play-offs.

The soup that is left over can be poured through a sieve or cheesecloth and degreased. I then further reduce the stock. It makes a wonderful base for sauces. It can also be used to encase the pork pieces in gelatin. This can be served cold with fresh salads. It's a great summer dish.
Enjoy.

[jane jane]

Lori, on behalf of all the vegetarians here (and Bessie, who just had a litter of piglets ...uh...thanks BUT...

Seriously, there was nothing my father loved better than a "trotter" as he called 'em. We didn't raise porkers on our farm, but Daddy had a brother who did, and he would go over there every so often for his "fix." Not sure how they were prepared.

[MyOwnWoman]

My mom (she was as "cracker" as you could get) LOVED "pickled pigs feet".
Eeewww.

[luCKy]

Seriously, you could not pay me to eat pigs feet. Or any flesh for that matter.

[lorisunshine]

Ah, Lucky, have you never tasted 'Canard a l'Orange', it's delicious. Seriously!

[MyOwnWoman]

Is that the same as Duck ala orange?

[lushy]

It's the same as Lucky Ala Orange

[tawnyfrog]

Lori - the way I feel right now, I'd eat a bucketful of your tasty morsels.

[Victory]

Totally traumatised vegetarian here. If we can eat pigs feet why can’t we eat sweet and sour puppy, or lemon kitten, what is the difference? My father used to chase me around the house with tripe and try to put this on my head. Eeeeeeek. Thanks dad you miserable shit head for making me a vegetarian.
Kind regards traumatised Aunty Vic

[lorisunshine]

Hey Vic,
I don't think you are a true vegetarian. I think you suffer from 'post traumatic stress disorder'. LOL.
As for the doggy and kitty dinners, well, it is simply not commercially viable to raise them for meat.