Chinese Braised Pork Trotters (红烧猪蹄)

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4.9 from 76 votes

Chinese Braised Pork Trotters are slow-cooked chunks of pork feet simmered in a rich broth with soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, ginger, dried chili, star anise, cloves, rock sugar, and salt. The result is tender pork with a glossy, flavorful sauce infused with aromatic spices and a balance of savory and sweet elements.

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Additional Time

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time

2 hrs 10 mins

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Calories: 417 kcal

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

3 to 4 lb pork trotters , cut into large cubes (*Footnote 1)
2 ginger thickly sliced and divided, thumbs
4 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
3 tablespoons soy sauce light
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 green onions , cut into 4” pieces (or 2 Chinese scallions)
5 dried chili pepper Chinese variety
2 star anise
4 cloves
1 heaping tablespoon rock sugar (or regular sugar)
2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

Cup of Yum

Place the pork trotters and half of the ginger slices in a large pot and add cold tap water to cover. Bring the water to a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from sticking. Continue boiling while skimming off the brown foam from the top until the broth is mostly clear, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to an Instant Pot (or pressure cooker). If the boiling broth is clear and doesn't have a strong smell, transfer 5 cups of broth to the pot with the trotters, or until the broth almost covers everything. If the broth looks very cloudy and smells strong, discard the broth and add 5 cups of cold tap water. (*Footnote 2)
Set the pressure to high and timer to 15 minutes for fall-off-the-bone tender pork (or 12 minutes for tender pork with some texture). Press start. (*Footnote 3)
Once the Instant Pot is done cooking, release pressure naturally for at least 15 minutes. Then switch the valve to fast release. Transfer pork and the broth back to the large pot.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the same pot and turn to medium-high heat. After bringing the broth to a boil, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 40 minutes or so, until the pork has absorbed a lot of flavor. Stir pork occasionally to avoid burning on the bottom.
Transfer the pork to a large bowl. Use a ladle to remove and discard the solid spices and aromatics from the broth. Turn to medium-high heat to boil the broth until it reduces to half of the volume and gets thicker, 15 minutes or so. Keep an eye on the broth so it doesn’t reduce too much. The broth will continue to thicken when it cools down a bit, so you don’t need to reduce it too much.
Add the trotters back to the pot and mix everything together. Serve hot as a main dish. You can store the leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 to 4 months.

Notes

Purchase pre-cut pork trotters or have a butcher cut whole pork feet into pieces for this recipe.
Cook up to 4 lbs (approx. 4 pork trotters) to yield tender meat and gelatinous texture.
Adjust water amount as pork releases juice during cooking; excessive liquid is not necessary.
If no pressure cooker is available, braise trotters in a Dutch oven over low heat for about 2 hours until tender, replenishing water as needed.
Reduce the sauce after braising to concentrate flavors and achieve a glossy finish.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 417kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 5.6g (2%) Protein 37.8g (76%) Fat 27.3g (42%) Saturated Fat 7.4g (37%) Cholesterol 182mg (61%) Sodium 640mg (27%) Potassium 73mg (2%) Fiber 0.1g (0%) Sugar 3.6g (7%) Calcium 2mg (0%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 to 8 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 417

% Daily Value*

Serving	1serving
Calories	417kcal	21%
Carbohydrates	5.6g	2%
Protein	37.8g	76%
Fat	27.3g	42%
Saturated Fat	7.4g	37%
Cholesterol	182mg	61%
Sodium	640mg	27%
Potassium	73mg	2%
Fiber	0.1g	0%
Sugar	3.6g	7%
Calcium	2mg	0%
Iron	2mg	11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.