Spicy Jokbal (Seasoned Braised Pig Trotters)
A drinking snack made by thoroughly boiling pig trotters with aromatics, deboning them, and tossing them in a spicy sauce to stir-fry.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Pig trotters are boiled thoroughly twice with aromatics to remove any gamey odor, then cooled down until chewy. Tossed in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce and either stir-fried in a pan or grilled over a wire rack to add extra flavor. The chewy texture and spicy flavor come together well, making it a great, satisfying drinking snack.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Cook time
- 120 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Jokbal (braised pig's trotters)4 (2 front trotters, 2 hind trotters)
First boiling ingredients
- Water18 cups
- Coffee (or doenjang (Korean soybean paste) 2 tbsp)1 tbsp
- Soju1 cup
- Bay leaves4 leaves
- Whole black peppercorns1 tbsp
Second boiling ingredients
- Water15 cups
- Large green onion (daepa)1 stalks
- Onion1
- Garlic10 cloves
- Ginger2 pieces (2, thumb-sized)
Seasoning for 500 g of jokbal
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)2 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)2 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Sugar1/2 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Ginger juice (or ginger powder 1/2 tsp)1 tsp
- Ground black pepper1/2 tsp
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2 (grated)
- Onion1/4 (grated)
- Soak in cold water for about 2 to 3 hours to draw out the blood (change the water about 2 times in between).
- I burned off any bothersome hairs over an open flame. Burning them over fire is much easier than plucking them with tweezers. For uncleaned trotters, first shave all the hair off with a razor, finish by singeing with fire, remove the toenails, scrub the skin vigorously with a brush, and cleanly remove any debris between the toes.
- Here are front trotters (the two long ones in the middle) and hind trotters, 2 of each; the jokbal we commonly encounter should use whole front trotters to have more meat and more to eat.
Steps
1. Here are front trotters (the two long ones in the middle) and hind trotters, 2 of each; the jokbal we commonly encounter
should use whole front trotters to have more meat and more to eat.
Soak in cold water for about 2~3 hours to draw out the blood (change the water about 2 times in between).
2. Since I bought them at the mart, they were cleaned well, but I singed off any bothersome hairs over a flame.
Singing over a flame is much easier than plucking with tweezers.
For uncleaned trotters, first shave off all the hair with a razor, finish by singeing with a flame,
remove the toenails, scrub the skin thoroughly with a brush, and cleanly remove any debris between the toes.
They taste great once made, but...
They do look quite unappealing before that.
3. Add all the first boiling ingredients and bring to a rolling boil.
At this point, you can also add about 2 tbsp of doenjang to boil together.
You just need enough water to submerge the trotters. I needed 18 cups.
4. Add the trotters and boil them...
5. Boil uncovered for about 30 minutes over medium heat so that the water bubbles gently, then remove only the trotters and discard everything else.
6. Once the second boiling ingredients are ready...
Pig trotters are a cut that has a strong gamey smell, so you need to mobilize all your aromatics to boil them.
Also, keep the lid halfway on or fully open so the off-odors evaporate.
7. Add everything into the pot, and when it starts boiling vigorously, add the trotters and boil.
Since they have been parboiled once, the volume of the trotters has decreased, so a little less water goes in.
Soy sauce seasoned jokbal sold at jokbal restaurants is made by boiling together with seasonings like soy sauce, garlic, and sugar so the flavor soaks in.
8. After more than 20 minutes have passed and the aromatics have softened, take everything out, leaving only the trotters...
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9. Leaving only the trotters, boil for about 1 more hour.
The second boil takes longer than the first boil; about 1 hour and 30 minutes in total will do.
10. Take out the meat to cool and discard the broth.
If you cool it quickly in front of an electric fan, it becomes much chewier and tastier.
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11. Separate the meat from the bones.
12. This is just the deboned meat. If you keep it cold in the refrigerator, it becomes even chewier.
You can dip it in salt or wrap it in lettuce just like this, and I made spicy grilled jokbal with the leftovers.
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13. Add all the seasoning ingredients and mix.
It is the same seasoning used for grilled chicken feet, so if you buy chicken feet, you can use this seasoning recipe.
14. Mix the seasoning into the jokbal and let it marinate for 2 to 3 hours so the flavors soak in before stir-frying.
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15. Heat a pan, drizzle a little oil, and stir-fry just until the seasoning is cooked while stirring.
Since the meat is already fully cooked, there is no need to stir-fry for long.
If there is not enough moisture and the seasoning might burn, just add a little water as you stir-fry.
16. Lastly, I placed it on a wire grill and roasted it over the fire once more.
If you bake it in the oven, steps 15 and 16 are taken care of all at once.
In an oven, bake at a temperature of 220 °C or higher for 10 to 15 minutes until the outside is lightly charred.
Ppunwife's tips
- Keep the lid halfway on or fully open so the off-odors evaporate.
- If you cool it quickly in front of an electric fan, it becomes much chewier and tastier.
- This is just the deboned meat. If you keep it cold in the refrigerator, it becomes even chewier.
- Mix the seasoning into the jokbal and let it marinate for 2 to 3 hours so the flavors soak in before stir-frying.
- If there is not enough moisture and the seasoning might burn, just add a little water as you stir-fry.
FAQ
What should I do during boiling to reduce the characteristic gamey odor of pig trotters?
During the first boil, keep the lid open to let off-odors escape, and during the second boil, keep the lid halfway on or open while boiling with plenty of aromatics to ensure no unpleasant odors remain.
How should I cool the jokbal to bring out its chewy texture more?
Taking out the boiled meat and cooling it quickly with an electric fan makes it much chewier, and storing the deboned meat cold in the refrigerator makes it even firmer and chewier.
Can I use an oven instead of a pan and wire grill?
If you roast it for 10 to 15 minutes in an oven preheated to a high temperature of 220 °C or above until the surface is lightly charred, you can take care of both the pan stir-frying and wire rack grilling steps at once.
Can I use this spicy jokbal seasoning for other dishes?
It is the same seasoning used for grilled chicken feet, so you can use the exact same proportions when making chicken feet dishes.
