Black Sweet Vinegar Pork Trotter is such a traditional Chinese dish. In the olden days this dish is often cooked as a confinement food after giving birth. The Chinese believes that this dish would ‘get rid of wind’ and is good for ladies post natal immunity after giving birth. However it is now a very common dish enjoyed by everyone even my very British husband (the eggs for he don’t eat fats).
Do you know that pork knuckles and pork trotters contains high natural collagen, perfect to ward off wrinkles? kekekekekekeke
The main ingredients to make a tremendous yummy pot of this dish are just the pork trotters or knuckles, ginger and the black sweet and sour vinegar. My hubby is a big fan of ginger but not the pig trotters or knuckles. so he will eat the eggs and drink the broth!
On the other hand the pig’s trotters are so tender, moist and wonderfully succulent after simmering slowly for hours that they are my favourite. Especially after I took the trouble of dry frying the skin till they blister. In the UK, I am using normal bottle of dark sour vinegar and dark sweet vinegar mix. I found it too sweet for my taste otherwise and I have to add more sour vinegar. I just love the pungent sweet and sour black vinegar taste but I prefer more sour and I added dried chillies to make it a bit more spicy.
I have actually kept back a huge piece of ginger to age it and I bought some young new ginger too.
Each and every family will have their own way of cooking this dish and their heirloom recipe. My mother always clean, blanch, drain and dry fry the trotters first and I followed suit. I find frying till the skin blistered gives that extra taste I love. However I am missing the black beans which I can’t find here.
Black Sweet Vinegar Pork Trotters
Ingredients
- Trotters/Knuckles
- Black vinegar
- Sweet black vinegar
- Ginger
- Dried chillies
- Sesame Oil
- Palm sugar
- Light soy sauce.
- Hard boiled eggs
Instructions
- Wash and blanch the trotters in hot water. Drain the trotters and dry fry in hot wok to blister the skin.
- Using 2 tbsp of sesame oil and fry your sliced ginger for a minute before adding a small lump of palm sugar.
- Add in your prepared trotters and as many dried chillies as you like. give everything a good stir.
- Next pour in your vinegar. I used 2 and half bottle because I cooked a large pot and I rinse out the bottles not adding much water.
- Bring to boil then lower heat to a slow simmer for an hour or till the trotters are as soft as you like and add in the eggs for the last 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with the half bottle of vinegar left. I prefer mine really sour and a tad spicy.
Hi
Can you tell me what vinegar brands you used please ? Thanks
Hi Jacynta, you have to use 2 types. One is normal black vinegar and one sweet. As I live in UK I do not have much choice. However most shops in Malaysia have labels. I do not have any at home at the moment but if you live in UK I will post you a pic the next time I buy. Hope that helps. p/s as I like mine very sour I often taste then add apple cider vinegar.
Hi, I’d like to make this recipe but I live in Spain and I can’t find sweet black vinegar, only the regular Chinese black vinegar. Do you have a substitute I could use or could I just use regular black vinegar and add sugar?
Thanks
Hi dear, so sorry for late reply but last few months I have not been well, sadly. To answer your question I think it is worth trying! Just use the black vinegar and add some brown sugar. <3
Oh no, hope you recover soon, and best wishes… Just an update, I made the recipe with normal black vinegar and added brown sugar and it turned out great 🙂
Thanks. Wonderful news! I am so happy you tried. Actually I woke up one day not able to move my left neck, shoulder, rotating calf, upper arm, elbow and my fingers num all in pain. I have a bad case of Bursitis & frozen shoulder. Not fun. Only today I am up to logging onto my blog 🙂