flipPieds de cochon à la Sainte-Menehould
Pieds de cochon à la Sainte-Menehould
Why this dish? Sainte-Menehould is a town in Champagne, Danton's native province (Arcis-sur-Aube). Its recipe for pig's trotters, long tenderized then golden with breadcrumbs, was already famous in the 18th century. A frank and fortifying dish, befitting the legendary appetite and Champagne origins of the tribune.
Pig's trotters cooked for hours in a fragrant broth until the bones themselves soften, then breaded and roasted until crispy. A patient cuisine that transforms a humble cut into a festive treat.
Citizen, pull up your chair and don't be afraid to use your fingers! Here's a dish from my home, my Champagne, that we let simmer all night by the fire until the bone melts under the tooth. The secret is patience: then you roll it in breadcrumbs and brown it properly, simply. I ate this as a child in Arcis, and believe me, no minister's banquet ever gave me that honesty. Eat, and may your stomach be as stout as your heart!
- •Pig's trotters — 4, split and tied (main piece)
- •Vegetable and herb broth — enough to cover (long cooking)
- •Onions studded with cloves — 2 (flavor)
- •Carrots and leeks — a few (aromatic base)
- •Stale breadcrumbs — as needed (bread coating)
- •Melted butter or lard — to taste (browning and roasting)
- •Salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaf — to taste (seasoning)
Pieds de cochon à la Sainte-Menehould
Pig's trotters cooked for hours in a fragrant broth until the bones themselves soften, then breaded and roasted until crispy. A patient cuisine that transforms a humble cut into a festive treat.
Why this dish? Sainte-Menehould is a town in Champagne, Danton's native province (Arcis-sur-Aube). Its recipe for pig's trotters, long tenderized then golden with breadcrumbs, was already famous in the 18th century. A frank and fortifying dish, befitting the legendary appetite and Champagne origins of the tribune.
Citizen, pull up your chair and don't be afraid to use your fingers! Here's a dish from my home, my Champagne, that we let simmer all night by the fire until the bone melts under the tooth. The secret is patience: then you roll it in breadcrumbs and brown it properly, simply. I ate this as a child in Arcis, and believe me, no minister's banquet ever gave me that honesty. Eat, and may your stomach be as stout as your heart!
Ingredients (period version)
- Pig's trotters — 4, split and tied (main piece)
- Vegetable and herb broth — enough to cover (long cooking)
- Onions studded with cloves — 2 (flavor)
- Carrots and leeks — a few (aromatic base)
- Stale breadcrumbs — as needed (bread coating)
- Melted butter or lard — to taste (browning and roasting)
- Salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaf — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Pig's trotters — 4 half-trotters, tied tightly in cheesecloth (main piece)
- Broth (poultry or vegetable) — 2 to 3 liters (long cooking)
- Onions — 2, each studded with 2 cloves (flavor)
- Carrots — 2 (aromatic base)
- Leek — 1 white part (aromatic base)
- Fine breadcrumbs — 150 g (bread coating)
- Melted butter — 80 g (browning)
- Bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf) — 1 (seasoning)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Tie each trotter tightly (in a cloth if needed) to keep its shape during cooking.
- Plunge the trotters into the broth with the clove-studded onions, carrots, leek, and bouquet garni. Season lightly with salt.
- Cook at a bare simmer for 5 to 7 hours, until the meat and small bones are completely tender.
- Drain gently, remove the string, let cool slightly then firm up in the refrigerator.
- Brush with melted butter, roll generously in peppered breadcrumbs.
- Roast at 200°C (or under the broiler, watching carefully) until a beautiful golden, crispy crust forms.
- Serve piping hot, with strong mustard and country bread.
How it was made : In the 18th century, lacking a domestic oven, breaded trotters were often finished on a spit or grill before the hearth. The very long pot-au-feu cooking made the bones themselves edible and crumbly — a feat that made Sainte-Menehould famous.
The contemporary twist : Serve on a board with a old-fashioned mustard whisked with Champagne, and announce the dish as “the foot of audacity.”
Danton · Charactorium
