2 ways to make delicious and nutritious five-spice braised pig trotters and braised peanuts

Prepare the ingredients

First, wash 70g of shiitake mushrooms thoroughly to remove dirt, then place them in a bowl and soak them in warm water.

Once the mushrooms have expanded, take them out and reserve the soaking water, then squeeze out the excess water from the mushrooms.

Next, rinse the herbal medicine package with cold water to clean off dirt, and soak it until soft.

Wash the onion, slice it into bite-sized pieces. Similarly, wash the ginger, then lightly crush it, avoiding too much force as it will break apart during cooking and be hard to fish out.

Wash 1 apple and use a knife to cut it into thick slices. Peel the carrot, then cut it into round pieces or carve it into flowers as desired.

Then, wash 2kg of pork knuckles with clean water and a little salt or white wine to remove any odor.

Boiling and marinating the pork leg

First, you place a pot on the stove and pour water in, then add the pork leg into the pot and bring it to a boil.

Wait for the water to boil vigorously for about 3 minutes, then remove the pork leg, rinse it clean, and let it drain.

After the pork leg has drained, you take a bowl and mix 5 tablespoons of soy sauce with a little salt or seasoning powder.

Next, pour the marinade sauce over the skin, wear gloves, and rub the spices evenly.

Marinate the pork leg for 30 minutes to absorb the flavors, occasionally spooning some soy sauce over it to enhance the color. Avoid using too much soy sauce as the flavor will become overwhelming.

Pan-frying the pork leg

You heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, then press down the skin of the pork leg to dry and sear all sides evenly. By pan-frying the pork leg first, when you stew it later, the skin will not become mushy but will have a nice elasticity.

Braised pork leg

After searing the pork leg, you place it into the pressure cooker, add the water used to soak mushrooms, apples, ginger, various medicinal spices, and a bit of salt to braise together. You should pour in just enough water to cover the meat, avoid adding too much.

Boil until it simmers, then reduce the heat and braise for 40 minutes. After that, add onion and carrot, and braise for another 20 minutes on medium heat.

After braising for a total of 60 minutes, remove the onion and ginger, and skim off some of the fat on the surface.

Add the shiitake mushrooms and let it boil for about 5 minutes, adjust the seasoning to taste, then turn off the heat. Serve the pork leg on a plate, sprinkle some coriander on top and enjoy.

Final Product

The delicious five-spice pork knuckle dish is a combination of chewy pork knuckle, eye-catching colors from carrots, and the distinctive aroma of various spices.

This promises to be an interesting dish for your family’s meal!

Prepare the Pork Knuckle

Soak raw peanuts in water for 30 minutes before cooking.

To clean the pork knuckle and eliminate any odor, when purchasing, scrape off any remaining hair and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Place a pot on the stove, add the cleaned pork knuckle and enough water to cover it along with 2 teaspoons of salt.

Boil the pork knuckle for about 2 – 3 minutes, then rinse it with cold water and let it drain.

Simmer the pork leg with peanuts

Place a pot on the stove, add the prepared pork leg along with enough water to just cover the surface of the pork leg and 100g of raw peanuts. Cover the pot and simmer the mixture for about 40 – 50 minutes.

Next, add 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder and continue to simmer for another 10 – 15 minutes.

Use chopsticks to poke the meat; if the meat is soft and easy to poke, and the peanuts taste rich, turn off the heat.

Before turning off the heat, season the dish to taste.

Final product

With a simple and quick method, the pork leg simmered with peanuts features tender pork leg and fragrant soft peanuts, making it not only a nutritious dish but also one that will impress your family with its delicious flavor.