Pig trotter/ hock/ knuckles are cooked in sweet black vinegar and gingery broth until tender. Can be prepared on stove-top or instant pot
It seems like Fiorina was just born yesterday. It has been 12 days since our bundle of joy arrives.
The 12th day of confinement is also marked by a small celebration by preparing a Sweet Black Vinegar Ginger Pig Trotter or we call it “Tu Kha Cho” in Hokkien and Lo Mai Gai/ Glutinous Rice with Chicken. IÂ asked my mom why there’s celebration on the 12th day and she’s not exactly sure why, but it has been the tradition (at least at our hometown where I grew up). Normally, if you have a baby boy, then only there is Lo Mai Gai. The traditional Chinese values male more than female. I do not accept such sexism. lol! Boy and Girl are just as precious.
The black vinegar is also used for the purpose of cleansing the blood in Chinese Traditional Medicine. This Sweet Black Vinegar Ginger Pig Trotter is not only prepared during the 12th day of confinement period. This can be cooked on a regular day for anybody. The version for confinement is heavier on ginger and sesame oil because all these are “heaty” and good for a woman who has just give birth. It’s one of my husband’s favorite dishes too 🙂
*Recipe is written for 6-quart Instant Pot. Cooking time should remain the same for 8-quart size but will take longer to pressurize. For mini duo (3-quart), I recommend to half the recipe and use the same amount of time to cook*
Chinese Black Vinegar Ginger Braised Pig Trotter
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Pork Hocks / Knuckles/ Trotters
- 1 lb whole ginger peeled and then cut into slices
- 200 gr Palm Sugar/ Gula Jawa
- 1 bottle Sweet black vinegar about 650-670 ml
- 4 Tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
Parboil the pork hocks:
- The next day, bring a big pot of water to boil and briefly cook the pork feet and pork hocks to get rid of the "meaty" smell, about 10 minutes. Discard the water and remove any visible hairs
Cooking on stove-top:
- Preheat a big pot over high heat. Add sesame oil and then ginger. Saute until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add black vinegar and palm sugar (or use brown sugar). Bring to a boil and then gently simmer for about 10 minutes. Add pork hocks. Cook on low heat with a lid on for about 3 hours or until the pork hocks are really tender
Cooking with instant pot:
- Press saute on instant pot. Add sesame oil and then ginger. Saute until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Turn off saute mode. Add black vinegar and palm sugar (or use brown sugar), and pork hocks
- Add water, just until enough to cover the hocks. Close the lid and turn the steam release handle to seal. Press pressure cook and high pressure. Set the time to 40 minutes or 60 minutes (for really tender hocks). When the time is done, wait for 10 minutes and then turn steam release handle to venting and then carefully open the lid
Notes
Check out the Confinement recipes here:
CHICKEN MUSHROOMS WITH DOM BENEDICTINE
PAN-FRIED COD FISH WITH CRISPY GINGER
GOJI BERRY TEA
SUP KAKI BABI (PORK HOCKS BLACK BEAN SOUP)
6 comments
I made this using a big clay pot. The first batch I bought 2 -21 fl oz. bottles of the sweet vinegar and used 3 front trotters: I didn’t have enough juice . The 2nd time I found a store that sells the vinegar in a 81 fl. Oz and I bought 4 back leg trotters this time I had enough vinegar . I am a fan of pigs feet so this confinement dish was more for me than my daughter. I didn’t use the gula Jawa as the vinegar said sweetened would it make a difference if I were to use it?
Hi Lisa, the gula Jawa will add a bit more sweetness, but it really depends on your taste preference. If you are happy without the gula Jawa, then it should be fine L)
So much black vinegar! Won’t this be too tart? Is palm sugar the same as gula melaka? Great blog… I’m preparing confinement food for sis-in-law. Can this be taken during the first week as well? She had c-sec and I am wondering if we should avoid chicken and sesame oil. Is duck or pigeon okay? I already got black chicken and fresh fish. I read your “what is chinese confinement” post. Thanks.
Hi Irene, It supposed to be sweet black vinegar, I forgot to write the “sweet” part. Palm sugar is the same with gula melaka (coconut sugar). The black vinegar with pig trotter is usually taken at 12th day of confinement or roughly about after two weeks. If she eat pork you can use pork instead of chicken for the first week and then you add chicken and other poultry and sesame oil after that. I hope it helps
12days celebration is to send the news to the girl’s parent as in olden days only in law does the confinement for their (sum poof)
Ah…. Ic, now that makes sense 🙂 thanks for sharing.