Speaking of cow hooves, there has always been a confusion: why can both sheep and pig hooves be eaten, but cow hooves are never eaten?

In fact, some people eat cow hooves, but we don’t see them often.

To sum up, there are three reasons. First, the nutritional value of cow hooves is very high, which leads to shortage of supply. Second, restaurants that mainly buy beef soup and braised beef have reached an agreement with cattle farms to buy the cow hooves.

Third, even many "cow-killers" will keep it for their children to eat and do not want to sell it.

However, most people are still reluctant to mess with cow hooves because the production process of cow hooves is very troublesome.

But in the eyes of chefs, beef trotters are a delicacy that they are proud of. In Lin'an, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, there is a chef Xiong Cheng who has been cooking for more than 20 years. He has the best beef trotters delicacy - charcoal braised beef.

hoof.

The ox is one of the first six animals domesticated by humans. It has been a good helper for farmers in cultivating land for thousands of years. It is a symbol of hard work and kindness in traditional Chinese culture. It has the meaning of suppressing evil spirits and bringing good luck.

In addition to its rich cultural heritage, its whole body is full of treasures.

The meat and milk of cattle are nutritious and high-quality food. The skin can be used for clothing and hats, and the wool can be used for felt blankets. Even the excrement is a very good feed, not to mention the cow's hooves. The cow's tendons have always been the top delicacies at banquets, so there is a saying:

"Beef trotters taste better than ginseng." Do you want to learn how to make this complicated but nutritious and delicious charcoal-fired ox trotters braised?

Let’s see how Chef Xiong cooks it.

Ingredients: Beef trotters, spices, onions, fruit peppers, green onions.

Method 1. Boil the ox hooves in boiling water for 3-5 minutes; pick them up and then pull them out with your hands or scrape them with a knife. You can try your hands first to see if the hairs are easy to pull out. If you can't pull them out, you can cook them for a while longer.

The weight of making a ox hoof dish is basically about two kilograms. When choosing ox hoof, you only need one for the big one and two for the small one.

Add water to the pot and heat it to about 70 degrees, then completely soak the ox hooves in the hot water. It needs to be turned constantly, because the hot water will be counterproductive if it is always in the same position.

The cooking time should also be just right. For some areas where the hair cannot be pulled out, you can pour more hot water to scald it, or you can use a knife to scrape it faster.

2. Boil the plucked ox hoof for about 2 hours, take it out, use the back of a knife to forcefully knock through the cap of the ox hoof, and then pry open the cap; you can also put it into a pressure cooker to stew, which can save time.

3. Chop the ox hooves into pieces; boil in the pot for half an hour and remove.

The main edible part of the ox hoof is the tendon, which tastes light and tender but not greasy, and has a texture like sea cucumber. It also has the function of nourishing qi and replenishing deficiency, warming the body and replenishing collagen fiber. It can cure fatigue and weight loss, soreness of waist and knees, and postpartum diseases.

Therapeutic effect of cold deficiency.

4. Heat the pan with cold oil, pour in the ox hooves and stir-fry; instead of using ordinary oil, rapeseed oil, which is more fragrant and healthier, is used.

5. Add garlic, cinnamon, bay leaves, fennel, cardamom, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chili peppers and saute until fragrant; add appropriate amount of soy sauce, oil, dark soy sauce, sugar, lard, and rapeseed oil and stir-fry for about 3 minutes.

The fishy smell of cattle hooves is very strong, and one or two spices cannot cover up the smell. Therefore, Chef Xiong worked hard to ensure the taste of beef hooves, and only used 6 kinds of spices to remove the fishy smell.

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Needless to say, cinnamon and bay leaves are indispensable for making meat delicacies. The addition of fennel and cardamom not only removes odor, but also protects the spleen and stomach.

6. Pour in a handful of coriander, three fruit peppers, one onion, and three pieces of ginger and stir-fry evenly; these ingredients are mainly added to enhance the flavor of the beef hooves.

7. Sprinkle in a spoonful of light soy sauce and a spoonful of cooking wine, pour in an appropriate amount of boiling water and bring to a boil.

8. Pick out all the spices and ingredients.

This is because the ingredients are almost cooked and serve as a seasoning. Picking them out can make the ox hooves fresher, more beautiful and easier to eat.

9. Pour the ox trotters into the casserole and simmer for 4-5 hours.

10. Pour it into another small casserole, sprinkle with coriander, and simmer over a charcoal fire before eating.

Food simmered over charcoal fire has a pyrotechnic flavor that goes deep into the bones, which cannot be brought out by ordinary stove simmering!

After seven or eight hours of long stewing, the tendons and bones of the ox trotters are easily separated. The skin is glutinous and the tendons are soft, the color is attractive, and the flavor is rich and palatable. The ox trotters have an extremely fragrant texture and are not greasy in the tendons. The price is not expensive. One dish.

A very delicious side dish to accompany wine, it has become the first choice of many local Lin'an wine lovers.

Regular consumption of ox hooves can regulate the functions of various organs in the body and regulate the circulatory system, so it can prolong human life and have anti-aging effects. The therapeutic effect is very good, especially suitable for women.