Instant Pot Pigs feet and Meatballs Quebec Ragout

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Serve this delicious Quebec pork stew with boiled potatoes, beets or lettuce salad.

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Instant Pot Pigs feet and Meatballs Quebec Ragout

Making the ragout in the Instant Pot doesn’t really save time, but it’s nice that you don’t have to watch the cooking while it’s cooking.

For a fat-free stew, cook the meats 1 or 2 days before serving. Prefer the hind legs as they contain more meat than the pork’s front legs. The stew will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator and frozen.

Accompaniments: boiled potatoes, beets, green salad

Servings: 8 t0 10

Preparation45 minsCooking3 hrsTotal3 hrs 45 mins

Cooking the Pigs Feet
 1 kg (2 lb) of pigs feet
 7 cups of cold water
 1 onion
 1 stalk of celery, with leaves
 1 tsp pickling spices
  3 cloves
 1 ½ tsp salt
The meatballs
 1 kg (2 lbs) ground pork
 1 egg
 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
 1/2 tsp ground clove
 l/2 tsp salt
 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
The Sauce
 1 cup all-purpose flour or Cajun dry roux
  2 tbsp cornstarch
  ¼ cup cold water

1

In the inner Pot, place the pigs feet, water, onion, celery, pickling spices, cloves and salt. Secure lid with the pressure steam release valve in the pressure position. Select "Pressure, manual or Meat / Stew" put 60 minutes to "high" with "keep warm" to "off".

2

Omit this step if you use cajun dry roux.
Meanwhile, preferably in a large cast iron skillet, over medium-low heat, grill the flour until it gets a peanut butter color; stir constantly using a wooden spatula or the back of a fork. Watch carefully as the flour in the bottom can burn easily. Reserve.

3

At the sound of the end of cooking alarm, press cancel and let the pressure release naturally until the float valve (the metal pin) is lowered.

4

Remove the pigs feet, onion and celery from the inner pot, strain and the broth and pour back in the pot.

5

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ground pork, chopped onion, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, salt and pepper. Shape into about 1 ½ inch meatballs and add them gently in the pork broth (do not stir as this will break the meatballs). Secure the lid with the pressure steam release in the pressure position. Select "Pressure, manual or Meat / Stew" put 12 minutes at "high" with "keep warm" at "off".

6

Meanwhile, remove the bones and skin from the pigs feet and reserve the meat in the refrigerator if you wait until the next day to degrease de ragout before finishing the sauce.

7

At the sound of the end of cooking alarm, press cancel and let the pressure release naturally until the float valve (the metal pin) is lowered. Remove the inner pot, cool and refrigerate to degrease if desired. If you decide not to degrease remove the meatballs and proceed to step 8. Pigs feet and meatballs can be refrigerated for 2 days.

8

When ready to make the sauce, remove fat congealed on top of the broth. Press "sauté" and liquefy the broth until lukewarm and press “cancel”. Remove the meatballs and reserve.
In a medium bowl, whisk the grilled flour or roux with enough broth until it gets the texture of heavy cream.

9

Select "sauté" put 30 minutes on "medium" and gradually whisk the flour mixture into the broth (if the mixture boils too hard, set the intensity at "low"). Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Combine the cornstarch and cold water, stir into the sauce and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pigs feet meat and meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes until meat is hot. Press "cancel".

Ingredients

Cooking the Pigs Feet
 1 kg (2 lb) of pigs feet
 7 cups of cold water
 1 onion
 1 stalk of celery, with leaves
 1 tsp pickling spices
  3 cloves
 1 ½ tsp salt
The meatballs
 1 kg (2 lbs) ground pork
 1 egg
 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
 1/2 tsp ground clove
 l/2 tsp salt
 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
The Sauce
 1 cup all-purpose flour or Cajun dry roux
  2 tbsp cornstarch
  ¼ cup cold water

Directions

1

In the inner Pot, place the pigs feet, water, onion, celery, pickling spices, cloves and salt. Secure lid with the pressure steam release valve in the pressure position. Select "Pressure, manual or Meat / Stew" put 60 minutes to "high" with "keep warm" to "off".

2

Omit this step if you use cajun dry roux.
Meanwhile, preferably in a large cast iron skillet, over medium-low heat, grill the flour until it gets a peanut butter color; stir constantly using a wooden spatula or the back of a fork. Watch carefully as the flour in the bottom can burn easily. Reserve.

3

At the sound of the end of cooking alarm, press cancel and let the pressure release naturally until the float valve (the metal pin) is lowered.

4

Remove the pigs feet, onion and celery from the inner pot, strain and the broth and pour back in the pot.

5

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ground pork, chopped onion, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, salt and pepper. Shape into about 1 ½ inch meatballs and add them gently in the pork broth (do not stir as this will break the meatballs). Secure the lid with the pressure steam release in the pressure position. Select "Pressure, manual or Meat / Stew" put 12 minutes at "high" with "keep warm" at "off".

6

Meanwhile, remove the bones and skin from the pigs feet and reserve the meat in the refrigerator if you wait until the next day to degrease de ragout before finishing the sauce.

7

At the sound of the end of cooking alarm, press cancel and let the pressure release naturally until the float valve (the metal pin) is lowered. Remove the inner pot, cool and refrigerate to degrease if desired. If you decide not to degrease remove the meatballs and proceed to step 8. Pigs feet and meatballs can be refrigerated for 2 days.

8

When ready to make the sauce, remove fat congealed on top of the broth. Press "sauté" and liquefy the broth until lukewarm and press “cancel”. Remove the meatballs and reserve.
In a medium bowl, whisk the grilled flour or roux with enough broth until it gets the texture of heavy cream.

9

Select "sauté" put 30 minutes on "medium" and gradually whisk the flour mixture into the broth (if the mixture boils too hard, set the intensity at "low"). Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Combine the cornstarch and cold water, stir into the sauce and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pigs feet meat and meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes until meat is hot. Press "cancel".

Instant Pot Pigs feet and Meatballs Quebec Ragout

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2 Responses

    1. Hello Josette, yes it is a mistake I corrected a minute ago there is only 2 pounds of ground pork for the meatballs.

      Thanks for bringing it to my attention,

      Micheline

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