Pigtails might be an unusual ingredient, but these pigtail recipes will prove that they have a special place in your kitchen and on your family table!
Pigtails might be your next favorite ingredient in the kitchen.
With the proper cooking techniques and complementary ingredients, this rarely-used cut of meat will star in your next show-stopping dish.
Here are simple pigtail recipes to get you started!
If you think pigtails are odd cuts of meat that provide little value in the kitchen, you’re in for a surprise.
Pigtails are found in many different cuisines worldwide, and it’s no wonder why!
They’re among the best bang-for-your-buck meat options because of the flavor and texture they can bring to dishes.
The secret to pigtail’s success is in what’s inside the meat.
Like pig trotters, pigtails are made up of cartilage.
Cooking pigtails breaks down the cartilage and creates a sticky, smooth, and rich sensation in the meat when you bite into it.
Pigtails are excellent for stews, soups, and other slow-cooked meals.
Gentle cooking allows the pigtail to break down fully and impart its goodness to the broth.
You can also fry, grill, or roast pigtails to get them deliciously golden brown and crispy.
Are you getting excited?
Check out these 19 unique pigtail recipes for some inspiration!
Spice up your next backyard barbeque with Jamaican Rum-Glazed BBQ Pig’s Tail.
Cozy up with a warm bowl of Pigtail Stew.
Check out #19 for a traditional Filipino dish!
First up on this list is a dish full of Caribbean flavors.
The pigtails are boiled for up to 2 hours, which helps them become rich and tender.
Scotch bonnet peppers provide the dish with sweet and fruity notes that work well with the herbs.
Ingredients include: Pigtails, red kidney beans, scallions, scotch bonnet pepper, and onions.
This dish will knock your socks off with its flavors.
With this recipe, you’ll get a savory melt-in-your-mouth meal in just over an hour of prep and cooking time.
Enjoy this dish with a bubbly cranberry prosecco cocktail or other fun drinks.
Ingredients include: Pigtails, ginger, anise, cooking wine, and soy sauce.
3. Oildown
Oildown is a meaty one-pot meal that deservedly holds the title of Grenada’s national dish.
Coconut milk has a distinct floral, sweet and rich undertone that plays nicely with the veggies.
Ingredients include: Pigtails, coconut milk, pumpkin, okra, and turmeric.
The rice is cooked directly in the coconut milk and herbs blend, which fills the grains with a rich taste and aroma.
A mix of herbs gives the rice a lot of bright and fresh flavors.
Ingredients include: Spinach, rice, coconut milk, pigtails, and celery leaves.
This soup will instantly warm you up on a cold night!
Milk and coconut cream help boost the broth’s flavor and create a silky smooth texture.
Corn adds a lot of bulk to the soup, making it hearty and filling.
Ingredients include: Corn, split peas, coconut cream, chicken bouillons, and pigtails.
Just a few pantry staples are all you need to make pigtails shine.
The pigtails are first simmered in chicken broth to tenderize and season them.
Grilling the pigtails helps them develop deep-roasted flavors.
Ingredients include: Pigtails, salt, chicken broth, and olive oil.
This sticky and saucy pigtail dish is best enjoyed with a steaming bowl of rice!
A combination of regular and dark soy sauce imparts a punch of umami to the pigtails.
Ingredients include: Pigtails, dark soy sauce, rice cooking wine, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise.
Enjoy a symphony of complex flavors with this recipe.
Hints of smoke from the smoked pigtails blend into every ingredient, giving everything an extra oomph.
The rice happily soaks up the smoky, savory, spicy, and sweet flavors and binds the dish together.
Ingredients include: Pigtails, coconut milk, carrot, pumpkin, and parsley.
This dish takes two hours to make, but the wait is worth it.
The milky, creamy, and rich broth works so well with the freshness of the celery.
Ingredients include: Pigtails, celery, onion, black pepper, and jalapenos.
Looking for an effortless leftover buster recipe?
This one’s for you!
It uses celery, potatoes, and carrots to give the soup some bulk and sweetness, but you can throw in anything you want.
You can soak the split peas overnight to speed up the cooking process.
Ingredients include: Yellow split peas, onions, black pepper, carrots, and pigtails.
The citrusy chili lime marinade wakes up this dish with its vibrant flavors.
The acidity from the marinade complements the deep char-grilled taste of the pigtails.
Ingredients include: Pigtails, chili lime marinade, mint, cilantro, and Thai basil.
Cow heel and pigtail are not your usual ingredients for a soup, but they work together to create a rich, luscious broth.
Cilantro, celery, and scallions brighten the soup with fresh flavors.
Ingredients include: Cow heels, pigtails, split peas, black-eyed peas, and cassava.
Callaloo is a Jamaican and Caribbean staple made by braising leafy greens in a flavorful broth.
It’s usually served with salted fish, but this recipe uses gelatinous pigtails for a change.
Ingredients include: Taro leaves, coconut milk, hot pepper, red pimientos, and pigtails.
Pig Tails Al Pastor features pineapple, canned chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, and achiote spice.
It has an explosion of flavor, thanks to the different seasonings such as oregano and cumin.
Ingredients include: Pineapple, adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, and pigtails.
15. Crispy Pigtails
Fish sauce provides a kick of umami and a briny flavor that complements the white vinegar.
Worcestershire sauce and other substitutes will do the trick if you’re out of fish sauce.
Ingredients include: Pigtails, fish sauce, distilled white vinegar, tempura flour, and sugar.
Dark rum has charred, oaky notes with a light sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the punchy Worcestershire sauce.
Mustard and ketchup blend to create a sweet, sour, and spicy sauce.
Ingredients include: Dark rum, barbecue sauce, cilantro, brown sugar, and pigtails.
This Southern-style pigtail recipe makes fantastic finger foods for game day.
Oven-roasting crisps up the pigtails and turns their crust into a delicious golden brown.
Munch on these tender pigtails like pork ribs for a tasty snack.
Ingredients include: Pigtails, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt.
This picture-perfect soup is a feast for the eyes, too.
It has gorgeous bright yellow with spots of orange from the egg yolks, butter, and paprika.
Yogurt has a pleasantly tangy flavor that works well with mild, rich milk.
A touch of paprika adds some heat and smoke to the soup.
Ingredients include: Yogurt, paprika, milk, butter, and pigtails.
19. Pigtail Sinigang
Soothe your soul after a long day with this soup’s superb sour kick.
This dish is a Filipino classic taken to the next level with pigtails.
It adds richness and helps thicken the soup with its gelatin content.
String beans provide a nice crunchy texture and a mild sweetness that pairs great with sour broth.
Ingredients include: Serrano pepper, pigtail, spinach, string beans, and Chinese eggplant.
The bottom line
If you haven’t tried pigtail yet, it’s time to take a leap of faith with these recipe ideas.
It’s an inexpensive meat cut filled with delicious collagen, which turns rich and luscious as it cooks.
Pigtail works with various cooking methods, so it’s easy to start using it now.
Feel free to return to this list if you need inspiration for your next pigtail specialty.
19 Best Pigtail Recipes
Pigtails might be an unusual ingredient, but these 19 best pigtail recipes will prove that they have a special place in your kitchen and on your family table!
Ingredients
- Caribbean Pigtails & Red Beans Soup
- Braised Pig’s Tail
- Oildown
- Spinach Rice With Coconut Milk & Salted Pigtail
- Corn Soup With Pigtail & Dumplings
- Grilled Pigs Tails
- Braised Smoked Pigtails In Soy Sauce
- Ochro Rice With Pigtail
- Pigtails Stew
- Split Pea Soup With Pigtail
- Charred Pigtails With Chilli Lime Marinade
- Cow Heel & Pigtail Soup
- Trinidad Callaloo Soup With Pigtails
- Pig Tails Al Pastor
- Crispy Pigtails
- Jamaican Rum-Glazed BBQ Pig’s Tail
- Southern-Style Pigtails
- Warm Pigtail Soup
- Pigtail Sinigang
Instructions
- Find your favorite recipe from our Pigtail Recipes list.
- Gather all the ingredients needed.
- If you love it, don't forget to share where you got it!
Belize
Friday 17th of November 2023
Thanks for sharing our recipe for Pig tails in split pea soup! - Belize News Post