Jokbal (Soy-Braised Pig's Trotters)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large heavy stockpot, 8 to 10 quarts
• •Tongs
• •Wide tray for resting
• •Sharp slicing knife
• •Small sauce bowl for saeujeot

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak and scrub

   Rinse the split trotters under cold running water, rubbing away any bone dust. Soak them in a large bowl of cold water for 45 minutes, changing the water once, then scrub the skin with the coarse salt and rinse again. This is not fuss. Blood and bone dust muddy the braise and give the pork a heavy smell.

   Ask the butcher to split the trotters lengthwise. A whole round trotter is hard to clean at home and slow to season through.
2. 2

   Blanch hard

   Put the trotters in a large pot and cover with fresh cold water. Add 1/4 cup soju or rice wine, 4 slices ginger, 3 garlic cloves, and 1 scallion. Bring to a hard boil and boil 10 minutes, uncovered. Drain, then rinse the trotters and scrub the pot clean before you use it again. The first pot is for removing; the second pot is for seasoning.

3. 3

   Build the braise

   Return the rinsed trotters to the clean pot. Add 10 cups water, the soy sauce, dark soy sauce if using, brown sugar or jocheong, doenjang, oyster sauce if using, coffee if using, onion, pear if using, remaining ginger, remaining garlic, remaining scallion, jujubes, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, peppercorns, and dried chili. Stir until the doenjang dissolves. The liquid should mostly cover the pork; add a little more water if the upper skin sits dry.

4. 4

   Simmer slowly

   Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered or half-covered for 2 hours, turning the trotters every 30 minutes so the skin colors evenly. Skim the surface when foam rises. Do not rush this with a violent boil. Collagen needs time to soften into that clean, springy skin people come to jokbal for.

5. 5

   Braise until tender

   Keep simmering 45 to 75 minutes more, until a chopstick slides through the thickest skin and meat with only a little resistance. The meat should hold to the bone but not fight you. If the liquid drops below halfway up the trotters before they are tender, add 1 cup hot water and continue.

6. 6

   Glaze the skin

   Lift out the aromatics you can reach, then raise the heat slightly and spoon the braising liquid over the exposed skin for 10 to 15 minutes. The surface should turn deep brown and glossy, not sticky like candy. Too much reduction makes the seasoning harsh, so stop when the skin shines and the liquid tastes savory, sweet, and pork-rich.

7. 7

   Rest before slicing

   Move the trotters to a tray and let them rest 25 to 30 minutes, until they are warm but not too hot to handle. This rest matters. Slice too soon and the skin slips away from the meat; wait too long and it tightens. Cut the meat and skin across the grain into 1/4-inch slices, keeping skin, fat, and lean meat together where you can.

8. 8

   Serve for ssam

   Arrange the sliced jokbal on a large platter and scatter with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with lettuce, perilla leaves, sliced garlic, green chili, ssamjang, and saeujeot dipping sauce. Each wrap wants one slice of pork, a little salted shrimp sauce, one piece of garlic, and a chili slice if the table likes heat. The sauce should sharpen the pork, not bury it.

Chef Tips

• •Buy front trotters if you can. They have more gelatin and better skin for jokbal, while back trotters can be meatier but less silky.
• •Do not skip the blanch and rinse. People try to cover poor cleaning with more ginger, more coffee, more spice. That only makes a louder pot. Clean first, season second.
• •The coffee is a modern market habit for color and a faint bitterness, not a requirement. If you dislike it, leave it out and use the dark soy sauce instead.
• •Saeujeot (salted shrimp) is the right sauce because it cuts the richness. To make a quick dipping sauce, stir 2 tablespoons chopped saeujeot with 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon gochugaru, 1 teaspoon chopped scallion, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.
• •A pressure cooker is a safe shortcut for time, not for cleaning. After blanching, pressure-cook the trotters with the braising liquid for 55 minutes at high pressure, natural-release 20 minutes, then simmer uncovered 20 to 30 minutes to gloss the skin.

Advance Preparation

• •Jokbal can be braised one day ahead. Cool the trotters in a shallow tray, cover, and refrigerate; rewarm gently in some reserved braising liquid until pliable before slicing.
• •The serving vegetables, garlic, chilies, ssamjang, and saeujeot sauce can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
• •Leftover sliced jokbal keeps 3 days refrigerated. Eat it cold with sauce, or warm it gently in a covered skillet with a spoonful of braising liquid so the skin softens without drying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 330g)