Introduction: Spicy/Sweet Troll Tails (or Pig Tails If You Are Not a Troll Hunter)

About: Just love making things.. I wish I had space to do it but everything you see was made in my 600sf One Bedroom Condo!

This is an old family recipe passed down from my Great Grand Mother Guurtje Heemskerk (b1869). She was a famous Dutch Troll Hunter (even though some thought her sons were part Troll themselves). In this version I am using Pig Tails as they were available at my local butcher. :-)

These are perfect snacks for that spooky Halloween dinner party and it comes with a great story! The original recipe did not call for any spice but I evolved it to include spicy pepper flakes since I like things hot. I love the combination of Spicy and Sweet and it is also Sticky and Messy which are the hallmarks of a great dish!

Supplies

  • 3 Lbs of Pig Tails cut in 4 inch lengths
  • 1 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 5 Onions Sliced
  • 5 Beets Sliced
  • Dried Scorpion Peppers (for less heat use your preferred Pepper)
  • Coarse Sea Salt
  • Pickling Spice (in cloth bag)

Step 1: Prep the Ingredients

  • Slice the onions into discs
  • Slice the beets into discs (I accidently bought pre-cooked beets so there was less color transferred to the dish I was hoping for some red highlights)
  • Place a couple of tablespoons of pickling spice in some cheesecloth and tie it up (this makes it so the spices can be easily removed from the finished dish)
  • Chop up the fried peppers (warning wear gloves and do not touch your eyes or any other tender body part!)

Step 2: Layer the Tails


Get a roasting pan that will hold the tails and allow you to cover them with water (my pan was too small but it was the only one I had)

  • Start with a layer of onions
  • add a layer of the pig tails
  • add a layer of brown sugar
  • add a layer of beets
  • sprinkle the pepper flakes & a bit of coarse sea salt
  • place the spice packed in the middle of the pan
  • add a second layer of onions
  • add a second layer of pig tails
  • add a second layer of brown sugar
  • add a second layer of beets
  • sprinkle more of the pepper flakes & a bit of coarse sea salt

Step 3: Roast the Tails

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cover all Ingredients with water, wait till it soaks in and add a bit more water to fill it up.
  • Cover the pan with tin foil to keep the steam in the pan.
  • Bake for 3.5 Hours or until tails are fork tender and remove from the oven.
  • Drain the liquid and the onions into a cooking pot.
  • Place the tails on an un-covered baking tray
  • Put them back in the oven at 425 for 10 minutes to brown them, turning them halfway through.
  • Boil the Liquid on the stove top for 10 minutes on Medium / High until reduced by half.

Step 4: Dish Presentation

Place the tails in a shallow bowl sticking the tips out to make it look scary! Pour some of the reduced liquid over top the dish. Fill a small bowl with some extra sauce as a dipping bowl

Add an orange hot pepper as a "Pumpkin"-ish Garnish.

Enjoy gnawing on the bones of the tails as you tell ghost stories!

Happy Halloween!

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