Pitcha Recipes

PITCHA

Steps:

• Ask your butcher to chop the calf's foot in several pieces; wash well. (If you're using oxtails, leave the pieces whole and do not remove fat or bones until later.) Place the meat in a stock pot with the bouillon cube. Tie the chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf, clove, and peppercorns into a cheesecloth bag. Add the bag to the pot and pour in water to cover. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours.
• Stir the gelatin into the 1/2 cup of cold water and set aside for 10 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and let it cool. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl; you should have about 8 cups of broth. Discard the spice bag. Pick the meat from the bones and set it aside; discard the bones and gristle.
• Spray a gelatin mold with cooking spray. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to the broth. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Transfer the softened gelatin into the warm broth and stir to dissolve. Pour the liquid into the prepared mold and refrigerate. Chill the broth until the gelatin has thickened slightly, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in the reserved meat and the egg slices. Refrigerate until set, 4 hours or overnight.
• To unmold the pitcha, dip the gelatin mold into warm water for 15 to 20 seconds. Invert the mold onto a serving plate and serve with parsley and lemon wedges.

PITCHA

Steps:

• Ask your butcher to chop the calf's foot in several pieces; wash well. (If you're using oxtails, leave the pieces whole and do not remove fat or bones until later.) Place the meat in a stock pot with the bouillon cube. Tie the chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf, clove, and peppercorns into a cheesecloth bag. Add the bag to the pot and pour in water to cover. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours.
• Stir the gelatin into the 1/2 cup of cold water and set aside for 10 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and let it cool. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl; you should have about 8 cups of broth. Discard the spice bag. Pick the meat from the bones and set it aside; discard the bones and gristle.
• Spray a gelatin mold with cooking spray. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to the broth. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Transfer the softened gelatin into the warm broth and stir to dissolve. Pour the liquid into the prepared mold and refrigerate. Chill the broth until the gelatin has thickened slightly, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in the reserved meat and the egg slices. Refrigerate until set, 4 hours or overnight.
• To unmold the pitcha, dip the gelatin mold into warm water for 15 to 20 seconds. Invert the mold onto a serving plate and serve with parsley and lemon wedges.

PETCHAH (CALF'S FOOT JELLY)

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse calves feet with water and place in a stockpot with enough water to cover.
• Bring the vessel to a boil and remove any scum that appears on the top.
• Drain the calves feet and cover again with a change of cold water. Bring to a boil again.
• Lower the burner to the lowest setting possible. Add the diced carrot and onion, salt and pepper. Cook on the lowest possible heat for a minimum of six hours, preferably overnight until any adherent meat, cartilage, tendons and ligaments separate easily from the bones.
• Reserve everything but the bones and discard the bones. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
• Chop the meat, cartilage, softened tendons and ligaments into small pieces (being careful not to miss any bone fragments and to use only those pieces that can be easily cut with the knife) and mix with minced garlic. Alternatively, take the larger pieces and put with cloves into a food processor and process until well incorporated and a ball of lumpy paste is present in the food processor.
• Place the sliced eggs neatly in the bottom of a rectangular glass or enameled baking dish.
• Over the eggs, evenly distribute the meat/garlic mixture.
• Over this, pour the broth including the onions and carrots. Depth of the broth should be no less than one inch though an inch and a half is ideal.
• Allow mixture to cool on the counter or stove top briefly and then place on a shelf in refrigerator to sit, undisturbed, until the mixture solidifies. Any fat coming to the top of the mixture may be removed by skimming with the edge of a knife after mixture gels firmly.
• Following solification, the mixture should be cut into squares. It is served cold as an appetizer or as a cool snack. Garnish with a slice of lemon wedge which may be squeezed over the aspic for additional flavor.