Since I was a little girl, my mom has prepared the traditional Christmas ragout. The smell and taste brings me back to my childhood’s most precious memories. The memories of my mom cooking and baking for Christmas, and the great smells in the house during that time. I’ve started to make this ragout recipe two years ago; I want my kids to have the same great memories I have from my childhood.
This ragout is made with pig’s feet (pork hocks) and ground pork, it takes a bit of time to make, but it’s really easy and the amazing taste is worth the time.
This recipe is made in 2 steps; I usually do the first step on a Friday or Saturday afternoon, and the second step the next morning.
Step 1
6 large pork hocks
3 teaspoons of coarse salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon of ground clove
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
3 large onions quartered
4 carrots sliced
Water
Add all the ingredients to a large pot, add water until the pork hocks are just covered. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 3 hours.
Remove the pork hocks and place them in the fridge to cool down. Strain the broth and discard everything in the strainer keeping just the clear broth. Let the broth cool down in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
Step 2
Separate the pork hocks to keep only the meat and set aside. Remove the fat on top of your cold broth and discard. Set you broth on the stove at minimum heat. Then make your meatballs.
Meatballs
5 pounds of lean ground pork
1 onion finely chopped (in the food processor)
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 cups of brown flower (I brown mine in a cast iron skillet. Be careful not to burn the flour. The flour needs to be deep brown. Sift the flower after browning).
Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs, except for the brown flower. Roll your meatballs in the brown flower, and add them to a large frying pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Brown the meatballs all around and add them to the stock.
Turn the heat up under the stock, and let simmer for 40 minutes. Thicken your broth with the remaining brown flower mixed with water (add 3 tablespoons of brown flower to a jar, add some water and shake until the flower is dissolved). Continue adding flower until desired consistency (I use about 8 tablespoons). Add the meat from the pork hocks and simmer for an extra 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
This recipe can be made ahead and frozen.
Ingredients Instructions
Hope after making this amazing ragout, it will also become a Christmas tradition in you home.
Enjoy!
You can find more Christmas ideas here: Christmas
My husband would love this dish. He is a huge pork fan and eats it quite a bit for the holidays.
I’m sure he would love this dish.
I like the twist of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg in the meal. I bet it gives it a very unique flavor. I can tell you it really looks tasty.
Thanks, the spices really give it that special Holiday taste! So good.
Wow. That sounds delicious! Sharing and pinning. Thanks for sharing your family recipe with us!
It’s my pleasure! Hope you give it a try, you’ll love it!
Sounds delicious and a nice meal for a chilly winter’s eve. Thanks for the post.
Thanks for the comment, it is delicious!
I love to try foreign food – foreign to me, that is.
It’s delicious!
Oh yum! There is not one meat that I won’t try. I’ve never had pigs feet but I know a lot of people who love them. Can’t wait to try this, thanks for sharing it with us.
I’m sure you will love it!
I can’t say that I’ve ever had pig’s feet, and really not sure I want to! 😉
I understand but you would really like it. It’s tastes just like chicken.
I have never had pigs feet before, but the dish does look delish! We love pork, so I wouldn’t say no to a bite or two 🙂
You would love it! Pig’s feet tastes almost like chicken.
Sounds like such a good comfort food! Reminds me of foods we ate when I was growing up in the midwest.
Pigs feet tastes a lot like chicken, in fact you could replace the pig’s feet with chicken in the recipe.
My family is French Canadian. I remember an old Ragout meal that has been served for generations. This Ragout did not have meatballs, it was just pig feet with a fantastic broth. I can’t find a recipe that is close to this. Please help.
I would really love to help you, but I’ve never had Pig’s feet Ragout without meatballs. Give mine a try, you’ll love the meatballs I’m sure! 🙂
it asks for 2 cups of brown flower — what kind of flowers are brown? Old dry flowers?
It regular flour that you brown either in the oven or in a cast iron skillet. I brown mine in a cast iron skillet. Be careful not to burn the flour. Do it at medium heat stirring constantly. The flour needs to be deep brown. Sift the flower after browning.