Recipe#6480

Title: CRUIBINS (GRILLED PIGS' TROTTERS, IRISH STYLE)

SOAR

   4                    Brined pigs' trotters
   2       x            Carrots
                        Stick celery
                        Onion
   6       fl           Wine vinegar
                        Melted butter
                        Dried breadcrumbs
   1       pn           Allspice
  Get plain pig's trotters from your butcher and then brine them for 24
  hours. Once they've been brined long enough, bandage them with several
  strips of cheesecloth, or tie them several times around the short way with
  string, since they will try with all their might to fall apart into many
  pieces while cooking. Put into a pot with the vegetables, and cover with
  water and the vinegar. Simmer gently for 6 or 7 hours. Allow to cool in
  the liquid. -- To serve, split the trotter in two the long way and roll in
  melted butter and dried breadcrumbs mixed with a pinch of allspice. Heat
  slowly under a broiler, or in the oven at 350 F, until hot and crisp on
  the outside. Serve with mustard and horseradish for those who like such
  things....and LOTS of wet wipes and paper towels.
  .
  Basic brine for trotters:
  .
  12 1/2 cups water:  3/4 lb sea salt:  3/4 lb brown sugar:  2 oz saltpeter
  (optional):  1 t juniper berries:  small piece ungrated nutmeg:  1 bay
  leaf:  3 sprigs thyme:  1 t black peppercorns:  4 cloves.  Put all
  ingredients in a pan, bring to boiling point, skim and remove from the
  heat.  Let cool.  Add trotters, weight down with a very clean stone or
  other nonreactive weight, and leave for 24 hours.  (The spices are also
  optional if you're in too much of a hurry.)