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Recipe

French Canadian Pig’s Feet and Meatball Ragout Recipe

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.

French Canadian Pig's Feet and meatball ragout

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.

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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 flour (I brown mine in a cast iron skillet. Be careful not to burn the flour. The flour needs to be deep brown. Sift the flour after browning).

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Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs, except for the brown flour. Roll your meatballs in the brown flour, 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.

French Canadian Pig's Feet and Meatball Ragout

Turn the heat up under the stock, and let simmer for 40 minutes. Thicken your broth with the remaining brown flour mixed with water (add 3 tablespoons of brown flour to a jar, add some water and shake until the flour is dissolved). Continue adding flour 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.

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French Canadian Pig’s Feet and Meatball Ragout Recipe

Rating: 51

Prep Time:

Cook Time: 4 hours, 20 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours

French Canadian Pig’s Feet and Meatball Ragout Recipe

Ingredients

    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
    • Step 2: 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).

Instructions

    Step 1
  1. 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.
  2. Remove the pork hocks and place them in the fridge to cool down.
  3. Strain the broth and discard everything in the strainer keeping just the clear broth.
  4. Let the broth cool down in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
    5. Step 2
  5. Separate the pork hocks to keep only the meat and set aside.
  6. Remove the fat on top of your cold broth and discard.
  7. Set you broth on the stove at minimum heat.
  8. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the meatballs, except for the brown flower.
  9. Make the meatballs of about 1 1/2".
  10. 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.
  11. Brown the meatballs all around and add them to the stock.
  12. Turn the heat up under the broth, and let simmer for 40 minutes.
  13. 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).
  14. Add the meat from the pork hocks and simmer for an extra 30 minutes.
  15. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
  16. This recipe can be made ahead and frozen.

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

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Comments

  2. Terry says

    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.

  6. Lesley says

    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.

  11. Joe says

    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.

    • Caroline Barnes says

      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.

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