Patitas

Pig Trotter Stew

I hated patitas, pig trotter stew, when I was growing up. I would sneak my serving under the table to my brother Hugo, who loved it. When I tasted it again as an adult, I couldn’t believe what I had been missing. Trotters are very gelatinous, so the stew tastes like eating a warm French terrine or pâté with a flavor similar to Italian mortadella—so good.

If you’ve never cooked with pig trotters, they’re really not all that much different from ham hocks. Using all parts of an animal is also very sustainable (and affordable). The trotters you find in the States are sometimes cut on the leaner side. If they’re not looking very meaty, ask your butcher for part of the lower foreshank to toss into the pot.

Trotter Stock

• 4 pounds meaty pig trotters, or 2 pounds trotters and 2 pounds meaty shanks
• 1 large red onion, halved
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 leafy sprigs fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Stew

• 1 pound bacon, cut into about ½-inch pieces
• 1 large or 2 small red onions, chopped into ½-inch pieces
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup ají panca paste, store-bought or homemade (see page 36)
• 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste, store-bought or homemade (page 34)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, preferably Mexican
• 1 bay leaf
• Homemade chicken stock (page 40) or low-sodium store-bought broth, if needed
• 1 medium bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and top two-thirds of stems, roughly chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 pounds small red potatoes, peeled and quartered
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup salted peanuts, lightly crushed
• 5 or 6 grilled sausages (optional)

1 To make the trotter stock, combine the trotters, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Fill the pot with a good 3 quarts (12 cups) water, or as much water as you can. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer the stock until the tendons are just tender enough to scoop out of the bones, usually a good hour. (Do not overcook the trotters or the tendons and too much fat will melt into the stock.) Occasionally skim off the foam at the top of the stock and add a little more water if the liquid ever reduces by more than half. Strain the stock and set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the bones and roughly chop all of the gelatinous trotter cartilage and skin into meaty, bite-size chunks. Discard the bones and any really tough bits.

2 Wipe out the Dutch oven or stockpot, heat over medium heat, and fry the bacon until beginning to brown but still very tender, about 5 minutes. Pour off all but a thin layer of the rendered bacon fat (do not rinse the pot). Reheat the pot with the bacon, add the onions, and sauté until they begin to soften and brown, a good 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sauté for another minute or two, then stir in the ají panca and amarillo pastes, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently push the aderezo (flavorings) back and forth on the bottom of the pan with the spoon until the pepper pastes smell toasty and the sauce reduces slightly, about 5 minutes.

3 Pour in about 1 cup of the trotter stock and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then add another 7 to 8 cups of the stock and bring it to a boil. (Use chicken stock if you don’t have enough trotter stock.) Stir in the cilantro, tomatoes, and potatoes and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Add the trotter meat when the potatoes are still on the firm side, about 15 minutes, and cook the stew until the potatoes are “al dente” tender when pierced with a knife, another 5 minutes or so. Add a little more trotter or chicken stock if the stew ever looks dry.

4 Just before serving, very gently fold the potatoes, tomatoes, and trotter meat together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Don’t stir too vigorously. You want some nice meaty potatoes to hold together. To serve, season the patitas with salt and pepper and sprinkle the crushed peanuts on top. Garnish with sliced grilled sausages, if you like.