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Pickler Pigs' Ears, Chinese Style

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Submitted by Doughboy81

Chinese pickled pigs’ ears simmered with ginger and vinegar, then chilled in a sweet-sour brine with cucumber, carrot, red onion, and bell pepper. A classic Cantonese cold appetizer.

YIELD

6 servings

PREP

20 min

COOK

1 hrs

READY

1 hrs

Pickled pigs’ ears is one of those Chinese banquet appetizers (liang ban zhu er) that divides a room. For those who grew up with it, the cool, crunchy, slightly gelatinous texture is deeply satisfying. For the uninitiated, it’s a revelation: tendon-like bite, bright sweet-sour brine, and the herbal snap of fresh ginger.

Simmering the ears for an hour with ginger, vinegar, sugar, and salt is what turns tough cartilage into tender-yet-chewy slices. The long simmer breaks down just enough collagen to make them sliceable but keeps the distinctive crunch that sets this dish apart from any other pickle.

The second brine is where the flavor lives. Hot sweet-sour liquid poured over cucumber, carrot, red onion, and bell pepper cools as it draws their juices in. Sliced ears join the veg and chill for at least four hours, though overnight is noticeably better.

Chef Tips

  • Ask your butcher to clean and singe the ears thoroughly. Any remaining stubble is extremely difficult to remove at home.
  • Use rice vinegar in place of white vinegar for a softer, more traditional Chinese flavor profile. White vinegar is sharper but works in a pinch.
  • Slice the ears into uniform quarter-inch wide strips. Thicker strips feel bone-heavy, thinner ones lose their signature textural bite.
  • Serve with a side of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and Chinese chili crisp for dipping. That three-way combo is the standard pairing.

Variations

  • Add a tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns toasted and crushed to the brine for a numbing-fragrant ma la edge.
  • Stir in a tablespoon of soy sauce and a teaspoon of sesame oil before chilling for richer savory depth.
  • Swap red onion for thinly sliced scallions scattered over the top just before serving.

Ingredients

2 907.2
POUNDS G PIGS' EAR *
3 3
SLICES SLICES GINGER ROOT
½ 118
CUP ML WHITE VINEGAR
¼ 59
CUP ML SUGAR
1 5
TEASPOON ML SALT
1 237
CUP ML WHITE VINEGAR
1 237
CUP ML SUGAR
1 15
TABLESPOON ML GINGER ROOT
3 3
CLOVES CLOVES GARLIC
sliced
1 5
TEASPOON ML SALT
1 237
CUP ML CARROTS
sliced
1 1
EACH CUCUMBER
chunked
1 1
EACH RED ONION
chunked
1 1
EACH EACH SWEET RED BELL PEPPER
chunked

Directions

Return to pot with water to cover and first 5 ingredients listed above.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour; let meat cool in liquid.

Discard liquid and cut ears into ½×1-inch slices. In the meantime, bring 3 cups water to a boil with remaining vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic salt and carrots.

Turn off heat when boiling point is reached.

Cool mixture to room temperature. Then add cucumber, onion, bell pepper and sliced pigs’ ears.

Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours to blend flavors.

Will keep for up to 1 week refrigerated.

Serve as an appetizer or a cold meat side dish.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 254g (9.0 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 221 1% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 808mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 18%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Sugars g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 70% Vitamin C 106%
Calcium 4% Iron 3%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Fat, Fat-Free, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free
 

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