These Juicy, tender, finger-licking Pig’s Feet are a Southern classic! They’re best served and commonly eaten with Collard Greens, Cornbread, Black-eyed Peas, and Potato Salad.
This pig’s feet recipe is the bomb, y’all. These pig’s feet are juicy, packed with flavor, and finger-licking good, and the pot liquor… just takes it up a notch, making this a 5-star recipe!!!
So, if you’re looking for a good Pig’s Feet recipe, look no further because this is the World’s Best Pig’s Feet recipe! I don’t care how good ya grandma’s pig’s feet recipe is… no offense, but they’re not touching these. Lol!
Let me chill before y’all get y’all Grandma’s to hunt me down!! But listen, even Gramps would be impressed with this pig’s feet recipe here, even if she doesn’t think they’re as good as hers. Lol!
It’s simple, super delicious, and AGAIN, the POT LIQUOR…. will have you sucking your fingers DRY! So make sure you keep a wet towel close by! This is SOUL FOOD IN IT FINEST FORM, folks!
New Year’s Eve family tradition
I remember folks in my neighborhood preparing Pig’s Feet for dinner a lot as a kid. And a lot of them knew how to make some mean Pig’s feet, but nothing, however, compares to these bad boyz right here tho.
Pig’s feet were probably my Grandma’s Viola Taylor’s favorite Holiday dish. My Grandmother would make these delicious heaven-sent Pig’s Feet every Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
So, it’s sort of a tradition in my family to cook pig’s feet on New Year’s Eve. She would ALWAYS cook the same things for dinner every New Year’s Eve too! LMBBO!
That was Potato salad, Collard greens, black-eyed peas, and pig’s feet. But she would also cook pig’s feet a few times throughout the year, and she’d hate to hear me say this, but even hers weren’t as good as mine. Lol!
Listen, no matter how great of a cook I become, I learned all the basics from her, my nana Alice Mae, and my grandma Gwen. I just took what I’ve learned after years of experimenting and added it to what they all taught me.
I know for a fact she’d be proud of how much I’ve evolved as a cook and even prouder of how good these stanking pig’s feet are. LMBBO!! Seriously though, I know my nana would devour these!!
Are Pig’s feet popular?
I get this question a lot from foreigners and people who have never had pig’s feet. They always ask, “Do people like pig’s feet”? or “Is pig’s feet popular in the States”? Well, I have an answer for you…
And the answer is a resounding NO! Haha! It’s bad enough that pigs’ FEET are PORK, which is the least popular type of meat, but pig’s feet, along with chitterlings, may be people’s least favorite kind of PORK!
I say this because you will find folks who aren’t very fond of pork who are at least willing to eat “PORK BACON” or “HAM” during Thanksgiving, but they won’t even entertain the idea of eating pig’s feet or chitterlings!
Even a large portion of people who do like pork won’t eat pig’s feet or chitterlings! This is mainly because people are disgusted by what they are, the feet and intestines of the PIG!
PORK, in general, isn’t very popular here in the States because we’re living in a health-conscious era where people believe pork is one of the most unhealthy kinds of meat. You also have those who don’t eat it for religious reasons.
But that’s ok with me because when my aunt and I make it for New Year’s Eve, there’s usually a lot for us to eat. After all, everyone else detests it. You have to have an acquired taste for it
Why do people call it “slave food”?
I had a friend who swore he’d never entertain the idea of eating pig’s feet. He would always call food like pig’s feet, scrapple, chitterlings, and fatback, SLAVE FOOD!
I hear people in the black community call pork slave food because they believe it’s foul and not good for the human body. They see it as “poor people,” aka “slave food,” which is something you should only eat as a means of survival.
That’s what slave food was… parts of chicken, pork, etc., that the slave owners found undesirable, and the slaves had no choice but to eat to survive. But because they were amazing cooks, they dressed it up and made it work.
Anyway, I convinced this friend to try some of my pig’s feet (One of my strengths is persuading people), and now he secretly asks me to cook him some every year for New Year’s Eve. LMBBO!
How to clean pig’s feet
Some people are against the cleaning of meat. They feel it’s pointless and will spread germs, and they think if there are bacteria on the pig’s feet, it’ll die once the heat hits it while it’s cooking.
My family always cleaned their meats, so it’s a mental thing for me. I won’t feel comfortable eating meat if I don’t soak it in a cleaning agent for a few minutes. Speaking of cleaning agents.
- Salt and water: Salt water is probably the most common cleaning solution used in the cooking world to clean meat. All you do is sit your meat in a big bowl with two quarts of water and one tbs of salt, then scrub it well after 30 minutes.
- Vinegar and water: You can also clean your pig’s feet using vinegar and water.
- Lime/lemon and water: An acid, such as lemon or lime, combined with water can also be used to clean meat. This is what Caribbean people from Jamaica, etc, typically use to clean their meats.
Key ingregredients and alternatives
Now, some of the ingredients used in this recipe can be replaced, but some can’t. So I’m just going to go over some of the key ingredients and give you some suggestions on what you can replace them with if you don’t have them on hand.
Chicken broth
Ok, now I use chicken broth because it gives the pig’s feet more flavor, and it’s all about flavor, baby! Yall know Philly Boy Jay doesn’t cook bland food!
The more flavor, the better… but you don’t necessarily NEED TO USE BROTH AT ALL because there are more than enough seasonings and condiments used in this recipe to turn plain ole water into a stock!
Ok? So using nothing but… WATER is ok! You might want to add a little more seasoning salt to ensure the pig’s FEET are seasoned to a T! But… with all the ingredients used in this recipe, it’ll taste just as good without broth.
- Bouillon cubes and water: Bouillon cubes and water are a good option since bouillon cubes and water are exactly what chicken broth is made of.
- Vegetable broth: I used vegetable broth in one of the pig’s feet videos I uploaded to my YouTube channel many years ago, and it was still just as good, so this also makes for a great substitution for chicken broth.
- Chicken base: Now, I’ve never added chicken base to my pig’s feet before, but it’s just a butter-like form of bouillon cubes and chicken broth. Chicken bouillon cubes are solid, chicken broth is liquid, and chicken base is the texture of butter.
Minced Garlic
Garlic is such a pivotal ingredient in this recipe. The flavor it gives the Pig’s feet can’t be replaced, and it is necessary for my taste buds to enjoy this dish.
- Garlic powder: If you want to keep it simple, use garlic powder; just look up the garlic powder to minced garlic conversion so that you’re using the right amount.
- Garlic cloves: You can create your own minced garlic or garlic paste using fresh garlic cloves. You can put it in a blender to make minced garlic or dice it up very finely with a large knife.
- Garlic paste: This brand of garlic paste I recently started using is called “Gourmet Garden.” And I now use it instead of minced garlic because it’s so potent and taste amazing I now use it instead of minced garlic.
The white cooking wine
Ok, so the white cooking wine wasn’t even a part of my original recipe. It was something I took a chance on and decided to throw in my pot of pig’s feet because I happened to have a bottle of some sitting around.
So I added it to the pot and loved the results… It just gave the pig’s feet more depth of flavor and added a punch of soul to it, if you know what I’m saying! Lol!
So the next time I cooked some pig’s feet, I decided to add more and eventually added to my recipe. It doesn’t make a major difference, so don’t fear it altering the taste of the recipe.
The pot liquor and its color
Now, I like to create a thin gravy, which is what we call pot liquor… It’s not thick enough to be a gravy or sauce, but it’s not thin enough to be called juice. It’s called liquor…
It sits at the bottom of the pot, and it’s full of flavor… it’s where all the minced and disintegrated ingredients you might not be able to see are, like the peppers, onions, and celery.
But the COLOR of the POT LIQUOR is what tells you how good these bad boyz are! If you look at somebody’s pot of pig’s feet and the liquid is clear with no color, it’s probably not very good.
My nana Alice Mae was big on COLAH… yes, COLAH, which in her language meant COLOR! LMBBO! She would always say if it ain’t got no color to it, that means it’s lacking flavor, and more needs to be added to it.
Now, I’m going to get into the ingredient responsible for the liquor shortly and also an option if you don’t have it, an alternative if you will.
- Flour: Flour is what gives these pig’s feet pot liquor, aka thin gravy. Many people I cooked this for loved it because folks don’t often make pot liquor/gravy for their pig’s feet. They just have it sitting in a big pot of seasoned water, aka pork juice or broth.
- Corn starch: The only real substitution for flour is corn starch. You combine this with broth or water to create a slurry and just like with flour, it thickens and turns into a thin gravy by the time the pig’s feet are done.
Tips for best results:
- Make a slurry: Don’t make the mistake of adding flour or cornstarch to hot water because you’ll be left with a bunch of lumps. The proper way to add thickeners is to create a slurry, which is cornstarch or flour combined with the broth or a liquid.
- Split pig’s feet: When you purchase your pig’s feet, buy them from a meat market where there’s a butcher who can split the pig’s feet into halves and smaller size pieces. This makes for more pigs’ feet and makes it easier to cook and stir in the pot.
- Add Slurry late: Since creating this dish, I’ve found that adding the slurry 45 minutes to 30 minutes before it’s done results in a better pot of liquor/gravy.
Serving suggestions
- Potato salad: When it comes to salads, potato salad is EASILY people’s favorite salad to eat with Pig’s feet. Potato salad is a must when I make pig’s feet.
- Cornbread: Cornbread is another popular soul food dish, and while I don’t often make it when I make pig’s feet, people seem to love making it a side dish for pig’s feet. My aunt loved dipping it into the pig’s feet liquor before each bite.
- Collard greens: Collard greens are probably people’s favorite side vegetable to eat with pig’s feet. Collard greens are the first vegetable you think of when you think of soul food, and you can’t get any more SOUL FOOD than Pig’s feet.
- Black-eyed peas: Black-eyed peas not only taste great with pig’s feet, but they’re EASILY the most popular New Year’s Eve dish… It’s probably the first dish you think of when you think of a New Year’s Eve dinner.
Storage and reheating
- How to store pig’s feet: Place them in a glass Tupperware bowl and cover them tightly with a lid to keep them fresh for a long time, then store them in the coolest part of the refrigerator.
- Can you freeze them? Yes, they freeze perfectly. Just make sure they are tightly sealed in a Tupperware bowl or Ziploc bag to prevent freezer burn.
- How to reheat them: Place them in a pot and over low heat until they’re nice and warm. You can also reheat them in a microwave, but I prefer reheating them over the stove the way they were cooked.
Frequently asked questions
- How to add all the liquid to a small pot? The pot I cook my pig’s feet in isn’t very big either, nor can it hold 3 quarts of broth vinegar and white wine at once. So add as much liquid as possible, and add the rest as it cooks down.
- How long do they last? They can last for 4-5 days and up to a week if you keep them tightly sealed and in a cold area of the refrigerator to stay fresh.
Now as good as these pig’s feet are, I don’t cook them very often because they aren’t healthy at all. But when I do, I kill them because they’re so freaking good. So give this recipe a shot.
The super easy instructions are below in the recipe card, and the recipe can also be printed. Make sure to give this recipe 5 stars if you like it, and make sure to share it with your friends and family, and please subscribe.
Enjoy, later!
PBJ~
The BEST New Year’s Eve Pig’s Feet Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 3hrs 30mins
- Total Time: 4 hrs
- Yield: 6
- Category: Pork
- Cuisine: Soul Food
Description
Juicy, tender, finger-licking Pig’s Feet. An absolute must for New Year’s Eve dinner.
Ingredients
6 Lbs Pig’s Feet
1-1/2 Cup Onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 Cup Green Bell Pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 Cup Red Bell Pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 Cup Celery, coarsely chopped
2 Tbs Minced Garlic
3 Tbs Flour
3 Qts Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup White Cooking Wine
1/4 Cup Hot sauce (optional)
1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbs Seasoning Salt
2 Tsps Italian Seasoning
2 Tsps Parsley Flakes (optional)
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Thyme
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
Instructions
1. Soak the pig’s feet in saltwater for 20 mins, then scrub and rinse well.
2. Meanwhile, chop the onions, celery, and peppers into small pieces.
3. Add broth and flour to a big bowl and stir well until you create a slurry.
4. Place a large pot over medium heat.
5. Add in the pig’s feet, chopped vegetables, minced garlic, and seasonings (except for the red pepper flakes).
6. Pour in the slurry, vinegar, wine, and Worcestershire sauce.
7. Cover with a lid and cook for 3hr 30mins, stirring periodically (every 20 mins or so).
8. Once done, add in the hot sauce and red pepper flakes, then stir well.
Notes
- To clean the pig’s feet, soak them in enough water to cover them with 1 tbs of salt.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
by
55 thoughts on “The BEST New Year’s Eve Pig’s Feet Recipe”
These look delicious!
My parents were from Italy and when my mom pigs feet (knuckles) she made them in a tomato sauce. They were delicious and I loved how I had sauce on my face from one side to the other!
Unfortunately, no one else in my family will eat them! Let me know when you will be cooking them again so I can invite myself over!
Oh Jay, As this little ol’ lady was sitin’ and grinnin’ as I was eating my mixed greens that I made with turkey tails, I just happened to come across this pig feet recipe! I couldn’t believe anyone else in the World loved pigs feet except for me. Anyway you can make them including pickled. Yum! I am tickled I came across it. Now to find a market that sells them is next.
This is the Best recipe I’ve ever seen i been with Philly Boy Jay for a long time when he was on my Facebook with me love all your recipes elaimjones@gmail.com My Facebook is Elain Jones
I am a professional French chef in the US> and where i come from we eat lots of pork including feet nose and all. I was looking for a different take on pig feet and your recipe did not disappoint. That will be my to go recipe moving forward
I treated myself to a great meal. I made your fresh collard green recipe and mac and cheese to go with it. One of the best meal i ‘ve had in a long time. Merci !Thank you!
I try the pig feet recipe and they were délicious will be cooking them that way all the time
I considered my pigs feet tmr very best…
I followed the recipe to the letter, just because it’s so different from my recipe.
Kudos to Philly Jay…
Five Plus Stars!!!
This was the best pig feet recipe, I ate so much and my coworkers love them to. This is my new year deal and just when I have a taste for some.
I had some rice for the broth delicious.
I’m in Mexico, at an AirBnB, so I don’t have all the ingredients. Doesn’t matter, still delicious! I watched your video first and I added the butter as your grandma did. Yum! Also, if you think this recipe is unhealthy, check out Dr. Ken Berry’s videos. Then eat this as much as you like, guilt-free! Thanks for sharing this recipe and giving me the confidence to go for it!
Great Recipe. Thanks for the knowledge
This may not be for people new to pig feet. I followed the recipe and I am confused with your use of the word “gravy” with this recipe. Again. Maybe it’s because I was new but it looked more like a stew if anything. With the cook time recommended it was so soft, I felt it was inedible. My fiancee ate his portion, and said it tasted okay, but wouldn’t like to try it again.
Looking past our personal tastes, being new, I felt following the recipe gave me a different result than what I saw in your photos.
On the plus side, it does smell good.
I don’t see where it says gravy
I made this recipe and I loved it. I have never made pig feet before and they came out really well. Thank you. I followed it by the letter.
Happy New Year Philly Jay!!! I decided to bring in the New Year with your delicious recipe. The fam looooves it 🤎
Hello Philly Jay happy new years to you and family ,am making your new year pig feet recipe today, I will like to know can add bean to this recipe
Hello Philly Jay happy new years to you and family ,am making your new year pig feet recipe today, I will like to know if you add the slurry can you add baby lime beans.
Hello Philly Jay happy new years to you and family ,am making your new year pig feet recipe today, I will like to know if you add the slurry can you add baby lime beans, I will like to know will the be too thick
OMG! I followed your pigs feet recipe to the tee today. I thought I made the best pigs feet. You definitely proved me wrong! Thank you for sharing your recipe it was delicious!
Thank you and my husband thanks you! I’ve tried pig feet so many times but this recipe is amazing. My husband said I put my foot in these pig feet!
Hi, I enjoyed watching your black eyed peas video and would like to make that dish. I’m looking on your website (phillyjaycooking.com) for the exact recipe measurements and cannot find it. Is the recipe located somewhere else?
Thank you,
Yiyana
Omg finger licking good and my family and I loved them. Thank u so much
Best pig feet receipe!
I Love Love Love this recipe. I ran upon your youtube on how to make Chitterling (another all-time favorite!) when my daughter at 12 wanted to know what Chitterlings taste like and I hadn’t made chitterlings in so many years (that was a hit too…lol) . That was a few years ago with the youtube video and this is the ONLY WAY I make my pig feets…lol. I will be doing a little less this fall/winter (the only time hubby wants them) Because we’ve been changing some eating habits in the house. But these are so good that I will be doing them for New years this year (If God spares me…lol) and probably a few more times throughout the winter. Thank you Philly Boy Jay for your wonderful and delicious recipes. Keep it up because you have help to elevate my soul food and cooking skills. (My hubby and daughter thank you too)
This recipe is amazing! I followed it exactly and we’ve had pigs feet two times in two weeks. I’m going to use this same recipe for turkey necks but just omit the vinegar. Thank you so much! All the flavors come together perfectly.
Love it, my mother usually cook pig feet, after she passed 10years ago I stop eating them till I ran across your recipe. It was finger licking delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I made it for the first time my son,cousin,uncle tore it up!!!! I Always follow U thanks for ur amazing recipes!!!!(The Best) keep them coming
Oh my goodness! This is the best recipe ever! I have recommended this recipe to my friends to try. I try not to do Pig’s Feet too often for health reasons, but I tell you, I can’t wait for the next time. This recipe is definitely a keeper to pass down thru the family.
After reading the reviews I had to try the recipe to see what the hype was about. Let me say that I always have my bottle of Louisiana hot sauce ready. But I have learned over time to taste my food first, then add flavor if needed. And Bro when I tell you that I didnt need anything extra for these! They were so full of flavor all I needed to do was dip in it’s own juices. Hands down best I’ve tasted and I followed the recipe with the exception of the cooking wine because I didn’t have any. I can’t imagine what the wine will add to this already supreme deliciousness. Thanks for sharing!
Loved this read. Thank you for trying the recipe 🙂
My first time making pig feet. I used all the ingredients. They were incredible. The kids loved them. I could still taste the flavor after I was finished eating to make me want more!
I made these “Trotters” earlier today & BOOM/POW! These Badboys are better than my Mama’s, mine & anybody else’s I know! My Mama was an excellent cook! My Grandson & I were putting a hurting on them & my Hubby said no thanks. I gave him a BONE to suck on & he went to his Man-cave. A little later he came back, got a bowl & loaded up. We could only laugh because we knew they were slamming! The gravy is awesome & I had everything I needed to make this recipe. God willing I will be making these again for New Year’s. Thanks for sharing this absolutely delicious recipe.
Haha that’s funny! Yea, these bad boys are irresistible and addicting. Once you taste one, you’ll keep going back for more. Super delicious and I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Tried this once before! Didn’t have each and every ingredient. They were still GOOD! TODAY I have EVERYTHING! MY MOUTH IS WATERING ALREADY!! GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR TALENT😘😘😘🙏🏽!!!!
I tried this for the first time me eating them in over 10 years. I love this recipe. I let my kids try it and they loved it
I followed this recipe to a “T” today and OMG….These pig feet are absolutely amazing!!! If I could give it 10 stars I would! Thank you so much for sharing this jewel of a recipe with us!!
I said PBJ makes THE BEEEEEEST!!!! 🙂
We made these this past weekend for Easter for extended family. They were an absolute hit!! Not only did they taste great, they looked AMAZING!!! Even though I had to double the recipe, they turned out great. Already been asked to do them again. Thanks J😁
These bad boyz are so darn good.. so glad you liked them! These recipes are always the best when you follow them to a “T”.
How are you rating the recipe 3 stars if you haven’t tried it yet. Thanks for messing up my perfect 5 stars. lol! This recipe is the same just better because more seasonings were added. If you don’t want to use broth replace it with water using the same amount. It’s that simple, enjoy!
Sorry Philly Boy… I wasn’t trying to mess up your rating. You right I have’nt tried the recipe with the added ingredients. But my mom likes it the way it was. And honestly I just want to keep it simple without having to buy extra ingredients. I still want to know it the measurements for the flour was the same for the cornstarch.
Listen I dont know why you seem to be making a big issue out of this… but the recipe is pretty much the same if not better. I didnt add 10 additional ingredients… I only added about 2 more if that’s too problematic for you, I dont know what to tell you. Use this recipe and enjoy it or don’t. I hope you enjoy it
I’ve make this every year for hubby’s birthday in October
Do you have cooking time for oven method?
Hi, I tried your pig feet recipe and it was good. I was not sure if I am doing this right but I am Italian and when my grandma made pig feet for us when I was little she made it in an Italian sauce. She would get her pasta sauce cooking and she would get a big pot ad she would pour half of her sauce in and add a lot of water to it and then the pig feet and cook them slow all day and when the gravy got thick she would add water to it until the pig feet where tender and ready to eat. Of course the sauce had to be sort of thick to be ready to eat. The sauce has a different taste to it then the regular sauce ad when put in the fridge it would be solid so you had to turn the heat on very slow, but it makes the best sauce for any Italian meal. I love it and I cook it probably about ever three months. I freeze it. So good!
Looked @ pic of pig feet u prepared looked so darn good my mouth start watering lol. Went out got me sum feet tried recipe & my goodness. Too good to be legit!!!!! Loving it. Family loves too. Only difference I did was cook n oven. Taste so good.
The first recipe I followed was your liver and onions. Then I did your shepherds pie and your curry chicken. You are absolutely amazing! Thank you for delivering these tasty yet easy to follow recipes. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Keep fighting, keep pushing And continue being you.
Appreciate it bro
You rock..awesome
Thanks, hope you enjoy the recipe
I’m trying this today because that last one was so dang good! Thanks you🙌🏾
You’re going to love this one even more.
Hey, I didn’t know pig feet could taste so good. I couldn’t help but enjoy all the juices from the bones. Hey bruh, I cleaned them bones thanks to you!
Saw this in my Instagram and came raw(right away) to view the recipe. Thank you for sharing!
thank you so much for sharing. and I applaud you for improving your grandmother’s recipe. bravo!!!
Thanks, broskie!
Been using your recipe for three years…Love it
I can’t wait to try pig feet in the crockpot I boiled them now I’m trying the baked and they always come out good each time I hope thes crockpot ones will be better