Braised Animal Hooves

Unusual Ingredients

Braised Animal Hooves
Ingredients:
4 cow hooves, chopped into two-inch pieces
1 whole soup chicken, chopped into ten or more pieces
1 duck breast on the bone, chopped into four pieces
1 pound spare ribs, cut into six pieces
8 shallots, peeled, their ends removed
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup Shao Xing rice wine
1/4 teaspoon coarsely crushed Sichuan pepper
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 star anise
10 bok cai hearts
Preparation:
1. Clean all fur off the hooves. And drop them into boiling water for two minutes, then drain and discard the water.
2. Bring six quarts of water to the boil, add the hooves, chicken pieces, duck pieces, and spare ribs and boil for five minutes, then discard the water and scum, and bring back to the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for one hour. Then add the shallots, sugar, rice wine, and the Sichuan pepper pieces and reduce the heat and simmer for four to five hours. Cool for one hour, then remove the meat from all the bones and discard them.
3. Pour the liquid through a kitchen towel removing all the scum, small particles, and spices and cut the meat into small pieces if they are too large. Put them and the liquid back into the pot and reheat.
4. In a fry pan, heat the an, add the oil, and the star anise and stir-fry for one minute, then add the hearts and stir-fry them for three minutes and transfer them to a small bowl or the bottom of everyone’s individual soup bowl.
5. Serve the soup and meat in a tureen or put some on top of a bok cai heart in each individual soup bowl, and serve.

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