# Braised Pig Trotters Recipe

![Braised Pig Trotters](./红烧猪蹄.jpg)

Braised pig trotters are rich in nutrients, flavorful, with a thick sauce that pairs perfectly with rice.

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★★

## Essential Ingredients and Tools

- Pig trotters
- Bay leaves
- Ginger
- Green onions
- Dark soy sauce
- Cinnamon bark
- Rock sugar
- Cooking wine
- Light soy sauce
- Salt
- Star anise
- Cooking oil

## Measurements

This recipe serves 3-4 people.

- Pig trotters: 2~3 pieces
- Cooking oil: 30ml
- Bay leaves: 2 leaves
- Ginger: 5 slices
- Green onions: half a stalk
- Cinnamon bark: 1 piece
- Rock sugar: 7-8 pieces
- Cooking wine: 30 ml
- Light soy sauce: 20 ml
- Dark soy sauce: 20 ml
- Salt: 8 grams
- Star anise: 4 pieces

## Instructions

### Preparation

* Place the chopped pig trotters from the butcher into a pot of cold water. Add 20 ml of cooking wine, ginger, and green onions. Boil for 15 minutes to remove the gamey smell.
* Heat a pan with cold oil. Pour in 30ml of cooking oil, add 7-8 pieces of rock sugar, and turn the heat to low. Melt the sugar until it turns into a caramel color, crushing the sugar pieces with a spatula. This takes about 2 minutes.
* Once the caramel is ready, add the blanched pig trotters. Continue cooking on low heat, stirring until the trotters are lightly browned on both sides.
* Add 2 bay leaves, 1 piece of cinnamon bark, 4 star anise, 20 ml of light soy sauce, 20 ml of dark soy sauce, 10 ml of cooking wine, 3 slices of ginger, and 8 grams of salt. Increase the heat to medium and stir-fry for 1 minute.
* Add boiling or cold water, ensuring the liquid covers the trotters. Cover the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn off the heat.
* Transfer all ingredients into a pressure cooker. Cook under pressure for 15 minutes. (If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can simmer in a regular pot, starting on high heat and then reducing to low.)
* After 15 minutes, pour the contents back into a wok. Turn the heat to high to reduce the sauce. Taste the sauce with chopsticks; if it's bland, add 2~3g of salt.
* The time required to reduce the sauce depends on the amount of liquid in the pot. Usually, 30 seconds is sufficient. Leaving a bit more sauce is fine, as the braising sauce is also great with rice.

## Additional Notes

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull request.