Do you know how to cook pig feet Jamaican style? Pig feet are an important part of many cuisines across the world, but in Jamaica, they just do them a little bit better.
Pig feet are called “Pig Trotters,” on many Jamaican menus and in their markets. They are served in quite a few different ways, including curried and in brown stew. One of the most popular ways, and the way I was taught to prepare them, is with beans.
Pigs trotters aren’t always that easy to find. Depending on where you live, you might be able to find them in your local supermarket. You’ll probably have better luck going to an international market, a butcher, or to a supermarket near a farm.
By doing just a bit of digging, you will probably find someone who will serve them to you. Pig feet are relatively cheap, so you should be able to get a good meal out of them.
How To Prepare Pig Feet
If you haven’t worked with pigs’ feet before, welcome to the strange and wonderful world. Where I come from, we like to use all parts of the animal that we can.
To clean a pig foot, you will need to dip them into scalding water and scrape off the hairs, if they have them. Then, you want to leave them in some weak saltwater for about two days, changing every day. You can now boil them and get them ready for the recipe. In some locations, you can get pre-cleaned pigs’ feet.
If you want to make this recipe frequently, know that you can freeze pigs feet, but you will need to use them as soon as you thaw them out or they will go bad. Soak them in fresh water before you use them.
You really need to make sure that the feet have been cleaned, as they can harbor some pretty nasty bacteria in those feet.
How To Cook Pig Feet Jamaican Style
This is the kind of recipe that has a ton of ingredients. It is feet, so you will need to do some masking of flavors. The ingredients themselves are all fairly simple, but they have extremely strong flavors.
Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list. You can find more of these things in your local supermarket or at an international market. If you can’t find something, you can probably skip it.
One thing you will find is that no two people make pig feet in the same way so you will probably come up with your recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds Pig’s Trotters, Cut Into Pieces
- 1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Cayenne
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Pimento
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Celery Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Paprika
- 2 Teaspoon Maggie All-purpose
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce
- 1 1/4 Teaspoon Food Browning
- 1 Sprig Green Thyme
- 1/2 Of A Medium-size Onion, Sliced
- 1 Scallion Stalk, Chopped
- 1 Medium-size Hot Scotch Bonnet Pepper, Chopped
- 1 Clove Garlic, Crushed
- 1 Canned Of Regular Size Baked Beans, Drained
- 1 Teaspoon. Coconut Oil
- 2 Teaspoon Ketchup
- 6 Cups Of Water
Instructions
- Stary by adding all of your dry condiments to a small container. Use a spoon to combine them well. Set aside your container.
- Season your pigs’ feet in a large bowl with the soy sauce, food browning, and dry condiments.
- Use your hands to coat every single pig foot chunk. This should take you some time, but it will be worth it.
- Add the scallion, thyme, scotch bonnet, onion, and garlic. Mix it all together again with your hands.
- Allow this mixture to sit, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Note that this is an optional step, but most Jamaican women swear it is what makes their pig’s feet some of the best.
- Put a medium-size pot on high heat and melt down the coconut oil. Put the pigs’ feet into the hot oil, stir well, cover, and steam-fry for about 2 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of water into the pod, cover, and continue to cook on the high heat. You should be starting to smell the mixture at this point.
- When the water reduces to a small amount, after another two minutes or so, add two more cups of water.
- When the water again reduces to a small amount, after another two minutes or so, add two more cups of water.
- By this point, your pig’s feet should be cooked. Taste them and add what you think they need. Usually, I will need to add just a bit more salt to my mixture.
- Add your baked beans into the pot and add the ketchup.
- Lower the heat and simmer until you get a thick gravy texture.
- Remove and serve.
That’s it! At this point, your pigs’ feet should look a bit like pork and beans, but it will have a slightly different taste and texture. Most people won’t even notice the difference unless they are looking for it.
Once you’ve got this recipe down, you should try some other pigs’ feet options. There are plenty of choices out there, including fried pigs feet, which may just replace your fried chicken addiction.
