Răcituri de vară, Romanian pork aspic

Name: Răcituri de vară, Romanian pork aspic
Ingredients: 1 kg pork trotters; 2500 ml water; 2 carrots; 1 medium onion (150 g); 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 heads garlic; 3 packets gelatin (10 g each); 150 ml cold water

Meat - Răcituri de vară, Romanian pork aspic by Ozana E. - Recipia

Pork trotters, with their skin and joints, make the broth for Răcituri de vară, a Romanian pork aspic with carrot and garlic. The meat pulled from the bones and pieces of skin stay in the broth, which sets as it chills, with carrot showing through each portion. I leave the skin in irregular pieces, so you can feel them among the pieces of meat. Preparation: 20 minutes. Cooking: 60 minutes. Resting: 6 hours and 15 minutes. Total time: 7 hours and 35 minutes. Servings: 6. Approximately 230 kcal and 22 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 kg pork trotters
2500 ml water
2 carrots
1 medium onion (150 g)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
2 heads garlic
3 packets gelatin (10 g each)
150 ml cold water

Preparation

1. Pat the pork trotters dry with paper towels and cut them into pieces that will fit in the pressure cooker. Put them in the cooker with 2500 ml of water and cook for 40 minutes from the moment the cooker reaches pressure, until the meat comes away from the bone easily. 2. Remove the pieces, discard the bones and set the meat and skin aside. Strain the broth and return it to the same cooker, along with the meat, peeled and chopped carrots, peeled onion, bay leaves and salt. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender. 3. Crush the garlic without chopping it too finely, then add it at the end of the 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. 4. Let the gelatin bloom in 150 ml of cold water for 10 minutes. Let the broth cool slightly for 15 minutes, then add the bloomed gelatin and stir until fully combined. 5. Divide the mixture among containers and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, until set.

Notes

Serve with warm polenta or homemade bread. When buying pork trotters, look for pieces with skin and visible joints. Very meaty pieces with little skin provide less natural gelatin. If the pieces are large, 40 minutes under pressure may not be enough. The meat should come away from the bone easily, and the cooking time can be extended. After straining, keep the broth at a gentle simmer, as a vigorous boil can make it cloudy. Sometimes the broth turns out too salty; dilute it with 100 ml of hot water before adding the gelatin. For a pretty finish, you can add slices of hard-boiled egg to the containers before pouring in the broth. You can leave the cooked onion in the mixture or remove it before pouring. Keep the containers covered in the fridge and eat the aspic within 3 days at most.