Hello to all the Asian mums! I am sure you are familiar with this dish which brings back memories during your “
Confinement -
坐月” days?
Ginger Vinegar Trotter (猪脚姜醋) is one of the traditional "must have" confinement dish that is good for expelling the wind from the stomach, the calcium in the trotter plus the heat from the ginger which helps to revitalize and replenish nutrients in the mother's body.
To prepare this dish, the two key ingredients are
matured (old) ginger and
black vinegar. Matured ginger is used because it imparts a stronger and more intense flavour for the dish and most of the folks also believe that Black Vinegar purifies blood and cleanses the arteries of stale blood while Old ginger drives out the wind in the body. And in order to prevent the vinegar for being too acidic and weakening the stomach; glutinous ligaments and collagen of the pig's trotters are added to serve as a lubricant.
Ingredients: (serves 2 -3)
1 Pig's Trotter, ask for the front trotter and cut into big pieces
2 Big Piece Of Old Ginger (老姜), about 500g
1 Small Bottle (375ml) Of Black Rice Vinegar (黑
甜醋)
1 1/2 Bottle Of Water, use the same vinegar bottle
1 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
50g Rock Sugar/Brown Sugar
4 Hard Boiled Eggs
Method:
1. Scrap, wash and cut the old ginger into big pieces then flatten slightly.
2. Heat up sesame oil in a large claypot and saute old ginger till fragrant.
3. Pour in vinegar and water, covered and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, remove from heat and leave it to stand over night.(
alternatively you can transfer the mixture to a slow cooker and cooker for AUTO for about 3 hours then switch it off and let it stand over night)
4. Trim the pig's trotter, rinse and blanch into boiling water for about 3 minutes. Remove, rinse again and drain well.
5. Preheat frying pan with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, saute the prepare trotter for a few seconds to seal the meat.
6. Next bring the vinegar mixture to boil, add in the pig trotter and cooked for
30 minutes on low heat then add in the hard boiled eggs. (
or you can transfer the mixture back to the slower cooker and cook over AUTO for another 2 hours before adding in the egg and cook for another 30 minutes or so).
7. Continue to simmer for another
20 - 30 minutes till the trotter is soften to bite then add in sugar to taste.
8. Remove from heat and serve hot or you can prepare this in the morning and let the mixture stand till the adsorb the flavour from the vinegar broth. and serve in the evening.
Note:
~ Cooking in Slow Cooker prevent the soup from drying out when compare to simmer it over the stove on low heat.
~ Ask for front trotter from the butcher as it contains more meat than bones or replace it with pork belly for more meaty dish.
Although this dish might seems a bit time consuming to prepared but you can always prepare the vinegar broth a day ahead and add in the trotter on the second day. Between this dish taste better after one or two days and you can store the unfinished portion in the fridge too but remember not to use plastic container for this dish due to the vinegar reaction to the plastic.
