Street FoodMediumFree

Pig's Feet Tostadas

Name: Pig's Feet Tostadas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 Jalapeño chillies; 150 ml White vinegar; 3 Bay leaves; 1 tsp Dried oregano; 8 Black pepper en grano; 4 Garlic cloves; 2 cups Lettuce iceberg; 2 Avocado; 150 g Soured cream; 1 tbsp Salt; 8 Tostadas de maíz; 1 kg Pork trotters; 1 Red onion

210 min (30 prep + 180 cook) Medium 8 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 11 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Crispy tostadas with pickled pig's feet, cream, and avocado.

About this recipe

Tostadas de pata are a classic antojito of popular Mexican cuisine, made with pig's feet slowly cooked until the meat and natural gelatine break down into tender morsels. The trotter is simmered with aromatic herbs for several hours, shredded, and marinated in a pickle of vinegar with red onion, jalapeños, oregano, bay leaves, and black pepper. It is served on crispy corn tostadas, topped with sour cream, shredded lettuce, tomato, avocado, and green or red salsa. The combination of textures is spectacular: the crunchy tostada, the gelatinous and tender trotter, the fresh vegetables, and the creaminess of the avocado. It is a dish found in virtually every market in Mexico, from humble street stalls to fondas with decades of tradition. Its flavour is comforting, tangy from the pickle, and fresh from the garnishes.

History & Origin

Tostadas de pata have their origins in the Mexican tradition of using every part of the animal, a culinary principle inherited from both pre-Hispanic cultures and Spanish colonial cooking. The pig's foot, rich in collagen and gelatine, was considered food for the poor for centuries, but preparing it en escabeche (pickled) elevated it to a dish appreciated across all social classes. The escabeche technique - preservation in vinegar brought by the Spanish - fused with Mexican chillies and herbs to create something entirely new. In Mexico City's markets, tostaderías specialising in pata have spent decades perfecting their recipes: the secret lies in the cooking time (the trotter must be tender but not falling apart) and the balance of the pickle. In Guadalajara it is served with birria, in Michoacán with extra-hot chile de árbol salsa, and in the north it is accompanied by a cabbage slaw. Traditionally sold as a mid-afternoon snack between 3 and 7 p.m., the hour of the "recalentado" in the markets.

Estimated cost

£14.00

Total cost

£1.75

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

280

Calories

18g

Protein

28g

Carbohydrates

12g

Fat

Fibre

620mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Wash thoroughly the pork trotters under cold water. Place them in a large pot with water that the covers, 2 garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf and salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook over low heat for 3 hours until the meat is very tender and separates easily from the bone.
💡 If using a pressure cooker, cook 45 minutes.
2
Drain the trotters and leave to cool until you can handle them. Separa the meat, the tendons and the gelatine of the bone. Cut into small pieces and place in a container.
3
Prepare the escabeche: in a small pot, heat the vinegar with the remaining bay leaves, the oregano, the whole peppercorns and the garlic remaining for 5 minutes. Leave to cool slightly.
4
Pour the escabeche hot on the meat of trotter. Add the red onion into half-moon slices and the jalapeños in chilli strips. Mix well, cover and refrigera for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
💡 Cuanto more tiempo marine, mejor will be the flavour.
5
To serve, place a generous portion of trotter in escabeche on each tostada. Cover with shredded lettuce, slices of avocado and a drizzle of soured cream. Serve with green sauce or red to taste.