Braised Pig Trotters with Sand Ginger

This dish of braised pork trotters with sand ginger is a classic Cantonese New Year's feast staple! The pork trotters are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside after being chilled in ice water—chewy, bouncy, and full of collagen. The sand ginger and shallots are stir-fried until fragrant, coating each piece of trotter in a savory sauce with the unique spiciness of sand ginger, without being overpowering. Crushed peanuts and cilantro add aroma and crunch, making it even more addictive with every chew—perfect with drinks or rice. Served during the New Year, it's both visually appealing and delicious, embodying the quintessential Cantonese flavor—a definite centerpiece for the New Year's feast, so delicious you'll lick your fingers!

Ingredients

1 pig's trotter
150g fresh sand ginger
100g shallots or shallots
3 sprigs of cilantro
4 tablespoons of cooking wine (Two tablespoons of water for blanching, two tablespoons for boiling the pig's trotters.)
Ice cubes
3 slices of ginger, for blanching
Use a suitable amount of dried Sichuan peppercorn shells for blanching.
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Steps

First singe off the hair from the pig's trotters and scrape them clean. Put them in a pot of cold water with ginger slices, cooking wine, and Sichuan peppercorns. After the water boils, cook for 5 minutes, then remove and rinse them clean.
Cut the pig's trotters open and set aside.
Slice some of the sand ginger and mince the rest; mince the shallots as well; I chopped the chili peppers, but since my child doesn't eat spicy food, I didn't add them.
Wash and chop the cilantro, add 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce and mix well.
3. Pour oil into a pan and sauté the chopped shallots and sand ginger over low heat until fragrant. Pour the sauce into a bowl containing soy sauce and cilantro, and stir well to make a sauce.
In a separate pot, add enough water, a spoonful of salt, sliced sand ginger, and 2 spoonfuls of cooking wine. Add the pig's trotters and simmer over low heat for 35 minutes after the water boils.
Add another spoonful of white vinegar (it will soften the pig's trotters quickly), and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
Take the cooked pig's trotters out, rinse them quickly, and soak them in cold boiled water with ice cubes. After soaking, they will have a super crisp texture.
Finally, plate the pig's trotters, pour over the stir-fried sand ginger and shallot sauce, mix well and it's ready to eat. The sand ginger is fragrant, and the pig's trotters are chewy and not greasy!