what to do with a pig's trotter

[GeorgeEliot]

Have one pig's trotter in the freezer. Please can someone tell me what to do with it?

boil it

we've only ever used them to make the jelly for pork pies - if you boil them up the resulting stuff is what you squirt into pie. I guess there might be a little meat you could pick apart and shred into a lentil and veg soup or something - we've always thrown the trotters away after boiling tho

Then what?

We have one in our freezer that DP picked up in the supermarket for about 50p - I think he only bought it to taunt me (the vegetarian) with it! I'll suggest any recipes that may appear here for him and will see if he'll actually eat it.

you could make brawn, but you'd need something a bit meatier as well - maybe a pig' head?

do you happen to have one in your freezer as well?

uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/534806

got any tails as well?

No heads or tails sadly. Just one lonely trotter.

I have nothing helpful to add to this thread (have had 1.5 glasses of cava!) but am finding it of interest and amusement. Very attractive title. Good luck with whatever you decide. :)

one lonely trotter won't go far

Stop it, you are making me laugh all this talk of tails and trotters

did you know that brawn is also known as headcheese, lollipop? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_cheese

For example, could I make stock from it ...?

(tries to introduce more serious note)

Sorry to lower the tone on your thread op.

Braise it with red wine until it falls apart, or brine it until the bones are melting - (Jane Grigson recipe) roll in breadcrumbs and oven bake. Speciality of Ste Menhoulde(sp?) near Reims.

Loads of other piggy recipes in her Pork and Charcuterie book (she was Sophie Grigson's mum)

I quite like trotters. They have started appearing on trendy menus too now.

this recipe is good

thanks Wispa - but that recipe calls for 6 trotters and I only have one!

The classic haute cuisine treatment is to stuff them with foie gras and ceps. Otherwise they can be used to make stock - they will make it gelatinous (so are good for pork pies etc).

I'd put it up my sleeve, pull the cuff down and stroke my still-sleeping DP's face with it until he woke up.