The practice of eating pork trotters dates back to the very early years of settlement when the first settlers to the Seychelles felt obligated to use every part of the animals they hunted or slaughtered. The need to use meat efficiently was the inspiration for a number of creative recipes, and many of these dishes are actually quite flavorful and complex. This dish is one of them and is frequently cooked in many Seychellois homes.
Cut Pigs Trotters
The thick collagen texture of the trotters which has an ability to absorb flavor combines well with slightly warm and peppery flavor of the turmeric which in turn works especially well with pumpkin.
Pig’s trotters are a cut of pork comprising of the pig’s feet, typically from the ankle down. Both the front and hind trotters are edible, and they can be used in a variety of dishes. Fresh trotters may not seem appetizing to some , but the meat is tender, soft and flavorful.
Because the muscle and tendons on pork trotters are very stringy and the skin a bit tough, it is important to cook them slowly, and for a long time, to ensure that the meat tenderizes. Or cook in a pressure cooker if you are in a hurry.
Cubed Pumpkin
Although cooking pig’s trotters it’s a fairly time intensive affair , the flavour and succulence it yields once done, makes it well worth the wait.
As mentioned earlier, this dish is very nutritious and this is due to two factors. Firstly, it is very high in gelatin, because as the trotters cook they release their natural gelatin which is said to promote the growth of healthy hair and nails, for people who have problems with thin or brittle hair and nails. Secondly, the turmeric abounds with natural medicinal properties. It contain an active ingredient called curcumin which has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to be beneficial in treating many ailments.
Helpful hints
Always ask your butcher to cut the bite size pieces for you as it has a lot of big bones and it is difficult to cut it into pieces at home. If you have to cut it at home use a cleaver and wash the pieces thoroughly under a running water as the bone has a tendency to shatter and can leave splinters in the flesh. Once you have cut them, soak them in hot water for 15 mins. Soaking draws out any blood in the trotters and tempers the raw, offal aroma. Use a knife to scrape the out skin clean and wash it well so that is there is no dirt on it .
Here is the recipe for Pork Trotters with Pumpkin and Turmeric- Lapat Koson, Safran ek Zironmon Tann
- 5 trotters
- 1 kg young pumpkin
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 litre water
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp ginger, crushed
- Salt and pepper
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Clean trotters in cold running water and use a razor, if required, to remove any remaining hair
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With a cleaver, chop trotters into small bite size pieces and wash thoroughly in order to get rid of any bone fragments.
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Soak in hot water for about 15 minutes to draw out any remaining blood in the trotters and temper the raw, offal aroma.
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Add the water in a medium size pot,place the chopped up trotters in the pot, add cracked pepper, and boil on very gentle until tender. This could take as long as 90 minutes.
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In the meantime wash and peel pumpkin and cut into small cubes of about 2cm.
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Once trotters are tender, remove pot from heat and transfer to a bowl and keep. Leave cooking liquor in the pot and allow to cool.
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Heat oil in a heavy pan and sweat onion, garlic and ginger. Stir in pumpkin and topped with half of the cooking liquor and allow to boil for approximately 15 minutes or until pumpkin is cooked.
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Roughly mash pumpkin in pot and add the pork trotters and cook for another 15 minutes. Add some of the cooking liqour if the consistency is too thick.
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Season and serve
- Alternatively, you could cook your trotters in a pressure cooker at maximum pressure for about 40 minutes or until tender.
- Ideally, you should get your butcher to cut your trotters to the size you want.
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you will enjoy cooking this dish. Please let me know how it turned out for you. If you have a different version of the recipe or have related questions, please leave your comments below.
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