Ste. Menehould Pig’s Feet

Slowly cooked and simply made, Sainte-Menehould Pig’s Feet recipe is a French classic. Delicately cooked with wine, onion and banquet garni, it is a delicious recipe that dates back to the 15^th century when King Charles VII ate them while visiting the Saint-Menehould city.

Mentioned in the Little Story of Alexandre Dumas, Pig’s Feet recipe is linked to the exile of King Louis XVI in Varennes.

The story goes like this that the King was exiled because he wanted to eat Sainte-Menehould’s pig’s feet. As a consequence, the royal family was arrested.

The King couldn’t eat Ste. Menehould Pig’s Feet, but the dish stayed and became a French favorite.

Try this recipe if you are looking to have something different for the dinner party at home. This recipe takes four hours to cook and yields up to four servings.

Health Benefits

Ste. Menehould Pig’s Feet is made from the hind legs of pig that have very little fat and more protein, making the dish health friendly. Combined with onions, carrot, and garni, the dish is packed with nutrition and is good for your joints and skin health.

Ingredients

pig’s feet, scraped, singed and rinsed: 8

coarse salt

bouquet garni: 1

onion, stuck with 2 whole cloves: 1

whole cloves: 2

carrot: 1

stock: 2 1/2 cup

dry white wine: 2 1/2 cup

Softened butter: 1 tbsp

breadcrumbs: 1/4 cup

How To Make Ste. Menehould Pig’s Feet

1. Let the pig’s feet soak in cold water for several hours.
2. Desiccate them and coat them thoroughly with coarse salt.
3. Let the feet stay marinated in salt for two days.
4. After two days’ time, rinse off the salt from the feet and tie them up well, two by two to remain intact during cooking.
5. In a large pot, cover the tied feet up with cold water and bring it to a boil.
6. Drain immediately once the boiling point has been achieved. Rinse it in cold water.
7. In a pot, place the feet and toss in the bouquet garni, onion, and carrot.
8. Pour over stock and wine just enough to cover them sufficiently.
9. Cover and cook for at least four hours over low heat or at 150 degrees C in the oven.
10. Remove the feet from the pot and let them cool.
11. Once cold, pull off the strings and slice each foot into half lengthwise.
12. Using a brush, apply softened butter over the halves and roll them in the breadcrumbs.
13. Broil them until they turn golden brown on either side.

Trivia

• Menehould Pig’s Feet is an ancient French recipe that has a historical significance. The dish originated from the Saint-Menehould city where King Charles VII was visiting and ate Pig’s Feet there in the 15^th century.
• The popularity Ste. Menehould Pig’s Feet achieved was through Alexandre Dumas’s story that links the exile of King Louis XVI in the 18^th century to Ste. Menehould Pig’s Feet.

Sainte-Menehould is a small French town that is in 130 miles east of Paris.