Pickled pigs' ears (tai heo ngam chua)
1 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Ceideburg | ||
| 4 | quarts | Water |
| 1 | tablespoon | Alum |
| 2 | cups | Distilled white vinegar |
| 2 | cups | Granulated sugar |
| 1 | teaspoon | Salt |
| 2 | pounds | Pigs' ears |
Directions
Lip-smacking, tangy, chewy, and exotic, these morsels go perfectly with drinks before dinner, and very well without drinks at any time.
Boil 2 quarts of the water with the alum for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Boil the vinegar with the sugar and salt for a few minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.
Boil the remaining 2 quarts water and drop in the pigs' ears. Boil for 20 minutes. Remove the pigs' ears and cut them into lengthwise slices ¼ inch wide. After the sliced pigs' ears have cooled, return them to the alum water to soak for 2 hours, then drain and rinse under cold water. Dry lightly.
Place the pigs' ears in a jar, pressing them down. Pour in enough cooled vinegar mixture to completely cover the contents of the jar.
Refrigerate.
NOTE: This can be eaten after 3 day and will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
Yields 2 quarts
From "The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam", Bach Ngo and Gloria Zimmerman, Barron's, 1979. ISBN 0-8120-5309-5