Recipe: Pig's Feet Sainte-Menehould Style

1- Take clean front feet, plunge them into cold water then bring to a boil and maintain for 4 minutes then remove from heat and rinse thoroughly under cold running water while cleaning them well, then arrange them on a plate.

2- Cover them with the brine and leave for about thirty hours (2 days + 1 night).

3- Make small wooden boards 20 to 25 cm long and 6 to 8 cm wide, then place 2 washed and dried feet per board, one on each side and tie them securely.

4- In a fairly large Dutch oven, arrange your small boards then cover them with 3 carrots, 2 onions, 1 leek, 1 garlic clove (cut into large chunks), some thyme, 3 bay leaves, 10 cl of wine vinegar and 1 liter of dry white wine and add water until it reaches the top.

5- Bring to a good boil then cover with a hermetic lid*.

6- Cook for a full day in the oven at 110°C (gas mark 4).

7- Remove from oven and position your Dutch oven elevated so air passes underneath and let them cool in their broth.

8- Remove your pig's feet, wipe them dry then detach them from the small boards.

9- All that's left is to split them in 2, coat them with nice breadcrumbs and brown them a little in fresh butter, you can also grill them on a plancha or BBQ.
* The ancients would prepare a lute (flour and water) to hermetically seal their Dutch ovens and take them to be cooked at the baker's who would store them late in the afternoon when the oven's intensity was lower and take them out the next morning…