Souse (Pig, Cow and Chicken Foot)

Ingredients For Pig Souse:

• ½ pigs head
• 2 trotters, also known as pettitoes – the feet of pigs
• Juice of 4 limes
• 2 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 2 cucumbers, sliced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 green pepper, sliced

Method:

1. Wash the trotter and the pig head thoroughly with lime.
2. Place the trotter and the pig head in a pot. Add water and salt. Cook until soft and tender, about one hour and thirty minutes. Allow to cool.  Skim off any residue and discard.
3. Slice the pig or cut into pieces.
4. Slice the green peppers and cucumbers.
5. Chop the onions.
6. Mix all the ingredients with some of the pig stock.
7. Add the pork slices or pieces. Allow to set for a while.
8. For best results, allow the mixture to chill in the fridge for a couple hours.  This allows the flavors to meld and fuse together.

Ingredients For Cow Souse:

• 2 packs cow heel
• Juice of 4 large lemons or 5 large limes
• Vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 cucumbers
• Onion
• Eschallot
• Celery
• Water

Method:

1. Carefully clean meat with lime juice, removing all hairs. Boil/pressure lightly salted water until tender, but not broken up.
2. Place meat in a colander and run cold water over it to remove excess fat. Discard water in which meat has been boiled. Allow to cool.
3. Peel and slice cucumber, onions and pepper, chop eschallot and celery.
4. Prepare marinade with lime and/or lemon juice and vinegar, and about 1 to 1½ pints water and salt to taste.
5. Arrange meat, onion, pepper, celery, eschallot and cucumber in layers in a deep dish, ending with a layer of cucumber, sprinkle with rings of pepper, chopped eschallot and celery.
6. Pour over enough of marinade to come up to top most layer of cucumber. Set aside at room temperature for at least 3 or 4 hours.

Ingredients for Chicken Foot Souse:

• 1 dozen chicken feet
• 1 cucumber
• Salt
• 1 sliced onion
• 3 grated garlic cloves
• 1 hot pepper
• 4 leaves shadon beni (or cilantro)
• Juice of half a lemon

Method:

1. Cut off chicken foot nails. This is done with a sharp knife or a pair of scissors.
2. After all the feet has been cleaned, place them in a bowl of water and squeeze half of lime into the bowl. Allow the chicken feet to soak in the lime water for about ten minutes. This is to eliminate the freshness from the chicken feet.
3. Put the chicken feet in a pot of water and add a bit of salt. Put the pot with the chicken feet on the stove and allow the chicken feet to cook and soften – for about thirty minutes. You can pressure them as well.
4. When the chicken feet is nice and tender, throw out the water, rinse them out with some fresh water and place them in a large bowl. Add about two cups of water to the bowl.
5. Slice the cucumber and add to the bowl with the chicken feet when they are cool. Finely chop the shadon beni, cut a few slices of the hot pepper. Add these ingredients along with the other ingredients to the bowl of chicken feet. Use a large spoon to mix everything together. Taste.
6. For best results mix well, cover and let it chill in the fridge for a couple hours. All the flavors will start working to combine for a spectacular dish – served as you would soup. (Things Guyana)