Pickled Pig Snouts

(click to enlarge)	Pickled Pig Snouts Worldwide (except Israel and Muslim regions)
(click to enlarge)	Makes: Effort: Sched: DoAhead:	1-1/2 # ** 3+ days Must		In pig raising parts of the country these are put up in big jars with their noses pressed to the glass. They are trickier to pickle than pig feet, much easier to overcook, but not nearly as tricky as pig skins.

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Pig Snouts (1)
-- Cure
Salt
Saltpeter (2)
Water
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Vinegar (3)
Onion
-- Spices
Chilis dry (4)
Bay Leaf
Peppercorns
Cloves
Coriander seed
Mustard seed
Ginger sliced
Salt
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Make: - (3+ days - about 2 hrs work)

Prepare a jar of sufficient size to hold the snouts. A 2 quart (8 cup) jar is just right for 3 pounds of snouts. It should be as sterile as possible (a thorough cleaning with a strong disinfecting cleanser like Comet or a rinse with bleach solution will do fine).
Check PIG SNOUTS for excess fat and cut it away, but don't get too carried away. Cut into large pieces as desired, particularly if you got whole faces.
Mix the Cure in a large pot. Add the Snouts and, over high heat, bring it up to 210°F/99°C, in other words, just short of a boil. Take the pot off the heat and let it stand tightly covered in a cool place for 12 hours.
Bring the pot to 180°F/82°C quickly. Hold at that temperature for 15 minutes, no more. Immediately drain the snouts and let cool.
Clean the pot and return the Snouts. Pack them down, then pour in enough Vinegar to just about cover. Remove the Snouts again and set aside.
Cut ONION into lengthwise wedges and stir into the Vinegar, then stir in all Spices. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
Put the Snouts back in and bring to a full boil over high heat. Immediately turn off heat and scoop the Snouts out into a clean bowl. With tongs, transfer the Snouts into the sterile jar. Pour the pickle vinegar over to cover. You can strain it or not, as you wish. If you have extra pickling vinegar save it in a separate jar for topping off as you remove snouts from the jar.
Cover jar tightly and let sit in a cool place for about 3 days before you start eating them (yeah, sure, like you're going to be able to do that).
When serving, rinse pieces with warm water to reduce acidity.

NOTES:

Pig Snouts: Here in Los Angeles, every Asian meat market has plenty of pig snouts for sale. In most you get a tray with several snouts, but in the local Philippine market you get one snout with the rest of the pig's face folded under it with eye holes cut out. Both ways are good.
Saltpeter: This may be Potassium or Sodium Nitrate - I use Potassium Nitrate. The action of this chemical greatly improves color, texture and taste, as well as suppressing bacterial growth. For details and pros and cons see our Curing Salts page.
Vinegar: Buy lots of vinegar. Get it at a Restaurant Supply where it's under $1.50/gallon, not at the supermarket where it's 5 times that or more. Generally, Distilled White Vinegar, or you can use the fake Cider Vinegar (white vinegar and apple juice) sold in gallon jugs (real Cider Vinegar comes only in quarts or smaller).
Chilis: 4 Japones will not make the snouts very hot. 4 dried Thai chilis are a different matter though. De Arbols are in between, so use your own best judgement. For details see our Chilis page.
Method: The Salt and Potassium Nitrate cure has some advantages over pickling without nitrate. The meat retains a better color, and the gelatin doesn't migrate into the pickle liquid and gell it up solid. The flavor is also better. No, the saltpeter won't cause your pecker to go flat, that's an old boarding school myth, but English gin will do that. Potassium Nitrate is easy to order on the Internet. In my childhood we could get it cheaply from the local drug store, but that's not still possible.
U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste

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