How to Make Famous Restaurant-Style Jokbal (Pork Trotters) for Just $10

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 Hello, food lovers!

Jokbal (braised pig's trotters) is a beloved Korean late-night snack, but ordering it can be quite expensive. Today, I'm sharing a game-changing recipe from "Fun-Staurant" by Ryu Soo-young (aka Eonam Teacher).

He shows how to make a massive, restaurant-quality portion of Jokbal at home for only about 10,000 KRW (approx. $10). The best part? He removed all the hard-to-find herbal ingredients and replaced them with simple convenience store items while keeping that authentic "Jangchung-dong" flavor!

πŸ– Ingredients

[Main Meat]

  • 2 Raw Pig Trotters (approx. size for 4 people)

  • 6 Liters Water

[The "Golden Ratio" Braising Liquid]

  • 1 cup Soy Sauce (Jin-ganjang)

  • 1 cup Sugar

  • 1/2 cup Tuna Fish Sauce (Chamchi-aekjeot)

  • 1/2 cup Vinegar (The secret to removing smell!)

  • 1/2 cup Coarse Salt (use less if using fine salt)

  • 1 tbsp Whole Black Peppercorns

[Vegetables & Aromatics]

  • 1 Whole Onion (wash well, keep the skin on)

  • Ginger (a generous amount, thinly sliced)

  • Garlic (a handful)

[Secret Flavor Boosters]

  • 2 cans of Sujeonggwa (Korean Cinnamon Punch) – Replaces expensive cinnamon sticks

  • 1 Samgyetang Herbal Tea Bag (pre-packaged herbal mix for chicken soup) – Replaces buying individual herbs

[Dipping Sauce]

  • 1 tbsp Salted Shrimp (Saeujeot)

  • Red Pepper Powder (Gochugaru)

  • Sesame Oil

  • Vinegar

  • Sesame Seeds

🍳 Instructions

Part 1: Prep & Cleaning

  1. Soak: Soak the raw pig trotters in cold water for at least 2 hours to draw out the blood. This is crucial for a clean taste.

  2. Clean: After soaking, press and massage the trotters (like doing laundry) to squeeze out any remaining blood. Rinse thoroughly.

  3. Score: Use a small knife to make cuts between the toes and along the meat. This helps the blood drain and allows the sauce to penetrate deeper.

Part 2: Boiling

  1. Pot Prep: In a very large pot, pour in 6 Liters of water. Turn on the heat.

  2. Seasoning: Add the soy sauce (1 cup), sugar (1 cup), tuna fish sauce (1/2 cup), coarse salt (1/2 cup), vinegar (1/2 cup), and black peppercorns.

  3. Aromatics: Add the whole onion (with skin), ginger, and garlic.

  4. Secret Ingredients: Pour in the 2 cans of Sujeonggwa and toss in the Samgyetang herbal tea bag.

  5. Boil: Once the liquid is boiling, gently add the cleaned pig trotters. Make sure they are fully submerged. (If they stick out, they won't cook evenly).

Part 3: Cooking Time (The Most Important Step)

  1. Boil Open: Boil with the lid OPEN for the first 30 minutes. This allows any gamey smell to evaporate.

  2. Simmer: After 30 minutes, cover the lid (or leave slightly ajar) and continue boiling.

  3. Total Time:

    • For a Chewy texture: Boil for a total of 1 hour 40 minutes.

    • For a Soft texture: Boil for a total of 1 hour 50 minutes.

    • Tip: Do not boil longer than 2 hours, or the meat will fall apart and be impossible to slice.

Part 4: Cooling & Slicing

  1. Rest: Remove the trotters from the pot. Do not slice immediately! Place them on a rack and let them cool for 15 minutes. This "cures" the skin, making it perfectly chewy and easier to slice.

  2. Debone: Cut along the bone to separate the meat chunks. (Enjoy the mini trotters separately!).

  3. Slice: Slice the meat thinly.

  4. Serve: Arrange the bones on a plate, pile the sliced meat on top, and serve with the salted shrimp dipping sauce.


This recipe is an adaptation based on the '10,000 Won Jokbal' video by the YouTube channel "KBS Entertain" (Fun-Staurant / Eonam Teacher). All photos in this post are my own.

You can watch the original video here: https://youtu.be/FcdH-oWBATQ