One must not be shy\u00a0when entering into Korean cuisine–or alleyways for that matter. \u00a0A walk down a neon-lit street or back-alley full of steam will most likely show tanks with unknown seafood piled upon each other, a full pig’s head, and a wooden block of steamed intestine and blood sausage. \u00a0But one of the best ways to participate in Korea’s trio of social, culinary, and heavy drinking life is by inviting pig’s feet into the night.<\/p>\n
Jokbal\u00a0<\/em>(\uc871\ubc1c), or pig’s trotters or braised pork foot or Korean pork shank, is a steamed\/boiled and simmered pork that is one of Korea’s finest dinner and home delivery meals–on that pairs nicely with\u00a0soju<\/em>\u00a0and socializing. \u00a0Like any Korean food, there is a, perhaps easily assumed, medicinal purpose: wrinkle-free skin (due to the gelatin) and hangover prevention, due to the, well, pork. \u00a0The culinary tradition and medicinal value dates as far back as the early days of the Joseon dynasty in the 16th century<\/a>.<\/p>\n From Seoul to Busan<\/a>,\u00a0jokbal<\/em> had made its name as one the quintessential meals in South Korea<\/a>. \u00a0And the heart of this scene is in Seoul’s\u00a0Jangchung-dong’s (\uc7a5\ucda9\ub3d9) Jokbal Alley. \u00a0By Korean standards, it can be above average–a\u00a0small serving for two at roughly 20,000 won (\uc6d0), a small group at 25,000 won, and a big table at 30,000 won–but the cost relative to the quality and culinary expertise is money well spent. \u00a0The popularity has spread to Seattle<\/a> and\u00a0Los Angeles\u00a0<\/a>, as has the steamed version,\u00a0bossam (\ubcf4\uc308)<\/em><\/a>, which is wrapped in cabbage or mint leaves with garlic and soybean paste. \u00a0(Even Korean players in Major League Baseball feel homesick for it.)<\/a>\u00a0 Korean pop singer\u00a0JungGiGo comes from a family with a successful jokbal restaurant.<\/a><\/p>\n Jokbal is seasoned, simmered, and boiled for up to three hours in a large pot. \u00a0The broth consists of leeks, garlic, ginger, sugar, Korean soy sauce (\uac04\uc815), and rice wine (\uccad\uc8fc). \u00a0One cooked through, the shank is deboned and cut into slices. \u00a0Typically, it is served with a salty and fermented shrimp (\uc0c8\uc6b0\uc813) along with garlic cloves and soybean past, along with other vegetables that add a non-greasy alternative. \u00a0It’s greasiness compliments the strong taste of soju, working well as one of Korea’s finest\u00a0anju<\/em> (\uc548\uc8fc), or drinking food, dishes.<\/p>\n Perhaps the myth is true. Pig’s feet has taken on popularity as a natural remedy for wrinkles<\/a>. \u00a0(In Korea, even the temporary wrinkles caused by an extended eye brow raise can lead to comments about looking old.) \u00a0But it is\u00a0jokbal<\/em>‘s \u00a0melt-in-your-mouth\u00a0<\/em>feel that brings people back. \u00a0Elsewhere, pig’s feet may be hard to win over for a night out or a dinner in. \u00a0But it has a shot as a culinary trend once in the way that bone marrow was both a unthinkable delicacy and a dog’s dish. \u00a0Is it a trend that could reach the West?<\/a><\/p>\n That answer can be found only\u00a0by a stroll down a Seoul or Busan alley–or on a street in L.A. or a suburb in Seattle.<\/p>\n