Pork trotters!

Yesterday a neighbour gave me: 8 pork trotters, 4 pig’s ears and a lot of belly fat. All frozen together in one big lump. I could only just fit it in our freezer.

I intend to make the trotters into stock to freeze in batches; cook the ears; and would like to make the fat into crackling and lovely dripping. It’s all more or less organic.

The trouble is, I have to defrost and deal with the whole lot in one go. And I would have preferred just one pig’s worth, instead of two! I’ve offered half on Streetbank (http://www.streetbank.com) and freecycle, but I don’t expect many reactions.

Has anyone got suggestions?

Do you live near here (Ilminster) and want half of it?

Can I freeze crackling, or will it keep a long time as it is?

Will it help if you add salt to the crackling?

Thanks! Love AW.

 

Annemieke,
Sorry the fat won't make crackling. You need the actual skin (rind) for that.

 

It may have the rind on, I didn't look that closely, just chucked it into the freezer ...

 

I
Ok, if it has the best way to do it is to score the skin with a sharp knife into diamond shapes about 2" across and then rub salt over and into it. Then lay it flat on a baking tray and start it in a medium temp for about half an hour then turn it up to high to get it really crispy.

I've never tried freezing it so can 't help you there sorry.

 

Why not eat the trotters?

http://www.johnpenny.co.uk/cooking-...ey-roasted-pigs-trotters-with-vegetables.html

 

I make stock from the trotters to get the gelatin (and taste) in my soup: then I use the trotter meat to also put in soups etc.
Your recipe sounds lovely though! Unfortunately I haven't got a very good oven. (Anyone know of a stand-alone calor gas cooker for sale?)

 

I doubt if defrosted crackling would have the same texture as fresh. Not something I have tried but then not something which I have felt *could* be frozen.

I've made brawn using pigs trotters before (my father enjoyed eating them as trotters though).

 

I used to like trotters in a stew with pigstails.
I thought brawn was made of the head/brains cooked and pressed.

 

And you would be correct
However, if you don't have a pigs head with brains to hand, you can use trotters and other pork meat. It is the gelatinous content that is what you really need and you can get that from the trotters too.

 

I can remember eating trotters as a child, must havebeen before I was 6 as we moved from there after that age, we ate them with vinegar sprinkled over.