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Mujuzhi
Mujuzhi: Imeretian pork trotters in a sharp vinegar and garlic jelly
For New Year in Imereti, kitchens fill with the smell of mujuzhi simmering for hours, because the dish has to set overnight on a cold balcony: pork trotters and hocks are boiled until the meat falls off, then laid in bowls under their broth, sharpened with vinegar and lots of garlic, which sets into a clear, tangy jelly. This is a pork dish, served cold with mchadi and pickles. A common mistake is boiling hard, which clouds the jelly. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a bare tremble, skim well and season the broth with vinegar to taste before it sets; the sourness is what makes mujuzhi different from other aspics.
- Total time
- 280 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the mujuzhi
- 2 ¼ lb pork trotterssplit, cleaned and singed
- 1 pork hockabout 800 g
- 12 ½ cups water
- 1 onionhalved
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp salt
To finish
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 8 cloves garliccrushed
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Cover 2 ¼ lb pork trotters and 1 pork hock with cold water, bring to the boil, boil for 5 minutes and drain. Rinse the meat and the pot; this gives a clear jelly.
10 minStep 2: Return the meat to the pot with 12 ½ cups water, 1 onion, 3 bay leaves and 1 tsp black peppercorns. Bring to a bare simmer and skim.
10 minStep 3: Cook over the lowest heat, partly covered, for 3½–4 hours, until the meat falls off the bones. Add 2 tsp salt in the last hour. Common mistake: a rolling boil; the jelly clouds.
220 minStep 4: Lift out the meat, cool slightly and pull it from the bones in large pieces, discarding bones and gristle.
Step 5: Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Stir in ¼ cup white wine vinegar, 8 cloves garlic and ½ tsp dried chilli flakes and taste; it should be clearly sour and garlicky.
Step 6: Arrange the meat in shallow bowls, scatter with ½ oz fresh coriander and ladle the broth over. Cool, then chill overnight until set firm.
Step 7: Lift off the fat on top and serve cold. Keeps for 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mujuzhi take?
- About 280 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 240 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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