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Pickled Pig's Trotters in Escabeche

Name: Pickled Pig's Trotters in Escabeche
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 250 ml White vinegar; 2 Carrot; 4 cloves Garlic; 1 cdita Dried oregano; 2 leaves Bay leaves; 2 cditas Salt; 1000 g Pig's trotters; 4 Pickled jalapeño; 1 cdita Black peppercorns; 1 Red onion

210 min (30 prep + 180 cook) Medium 6 servings Centro de México

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Slow-cooked pig's trotters pickled in vinegar escabeche with jalapeños and carrot.

About this recipe

Pickled pig's trotters are a classic preparation of central Mexican cooking, where the pig's feet - rich in collagen and gelatin - are slowly cooked until tender, then preserved in an escabeche of vinegar, red onion, carrots, jalapeños and aromatic herbs. The result is an intensely flavoured, acidic and spicy starter traditionally served as a bar snack in cantinas, markets and fondas, accompanied by tostadas or bread rolls.

History & Origin

Escabeche arrived in Mexico with the Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century, who had themselves adopted it from the Arab tradition (al-sikbaj, an acidic vinegar meat stew documented from the tenth century). In the Viceroyalty of New Spain, escabeche became a fundamental preservation technique before refrigeration, applied to fish, seafood, poultry and offal. Pig's trotters - pieces with high collagen content that the Spanish also consumed pickled - were quickly integrated into New Spanish cooking as a tavern snack and market starter. In the fondas and cantinas of central Mexico, pickled trotters are an obligatory presence in the snack counter.

Estimated cost

£5.90

Total cost

£0.98

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

195

Calories

18g

Protein

Carbohydrates

10g

Fat

1.5g

Fibre

520mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Wash the trotters well. Place in a pressure cooker with cold water, 2 garlic cloves, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Cook for 90 minutes in a pressure cooker or 3 hours in a regular pot until very tender.
💡 The trotters are ready when the bone comes away easily.
2
Leave the trotters to cool in their broth. Once cold, cut into pieces if large. Reserve 250 ml of the broth.
3
Slice the carrot thinly and the red onion into julienne strips. Slice the jalapeños into rounds.
4
In a saucepan, heat the vinegar with the reserved broth, 2 garlic cloves, pepper, oregano and salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.
5
Add the carrot to the escabeche liquid and cook for 5 minutes. Add the onion and jalapeños, stir and remove from the heat.
6
Place the trotters in a sealed container. Pour the hot escabeche over them. Leave to cool and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. They keep for 2 weeks.
💡 Resting is key: the escabeche improves greatly after 48 hours.