Name: Polish Pork Aspic (Zimne nóżki / Galareta wieprzowa)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 825 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 3 butcher-cleaned pork trotters, split lengthwise, about 1.5 kg total; 1 pork hock, skin on, about 1 kg; 500 g lean pork shoulder; 4.5 l itres cold water; add up to 500 ml more only if needed to cover the meat by about 3 cm; 2 carrots, about 200 g total, peeled; 1 parsley root, about 100 g, peeled; 100 g celeriac, peeled; 1 yellow onion, about 150 g, halved and charred on a dry pan; 4 g arlic cloves, about 12 g, crushed; 2 bay leaves; 3 g whole black peppercorns; 1.5 g allspice berries; 18 g fine salt; 30 ml cider vinegar; 5 g flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped (optional garnish)

A wide view of „Polish Pork Aspic (Zimne nóżki / Galareta wieprzowa)“ arranged on a table for serving.

Yield 10 servings

Serving size about 250–300 g, including aspic, meat and carrot

Difficulty moderate

Category Polish cold pork aspic; contains celery

Ingredients ↓

At a glance

Polish Pork Aspic (Zimne nóżki / Galareta wieprzowa)

Pork trotters and hock simmer slowly with root vegetables until their collagen enriches the broth. Chopped meat and carrot are covered with the strained stock, then chilled until the aspic sets naturally. Serve the slices cold with a little vinegar.

Zimne nóżki is a familiar Polish name for pork set in a savory jelly. The dish has different regional names: the Polish Ministry of Agriculture documents galart as a Wielkopolska term, while other areas use names such as studzienina or zylc. The selected version follows the pork-feet-and-vegetable style and is not presented as one universal regional formula.

Pork feet provide collagen that turns a long-simmered stock into a soft gel as it cools. A hock adds tender meat, and a little lean shoulder fills out each portion. Carrot is kept in the finished aspic for color and sweetness; the other roots and charred onion season the stock before it is strained.

The simmer takes several hours, but most of that time is hands-off. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer so the broth stays reasonably clear, then remove every bone before assembling the dishes. Cool the filled, shallow portions promptly and refrigerate until fully set; this is a perishable cooked dish and must stay chilled.

Ingredients

For the pork and stock

3 butcher-cleaned pork trotters, split lengthwise, about 1.5 kg total
1 pork hock, skin on, about 1 kg
500 g lean pork shoulder
4.5 l itres cold water; add up to 500 ml more only if needed to cover the meat by about 3 cm

For the vegetables and aromatics

2 carrots, about 200 g total, peeled
1 parsley root, about 100 g, peeled
100 g celeriac, peeled
1 yellow onion, about 150 g, halved and charred on a dry pan
4 g arlic cloves, about 12 g, crushed
2 bay leaves
3 g whole black peppercorns
1.5 g allspice berries
18 g fine salt

To serve

30 ml cider vinegar
5 g flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped (optional garnish)

Method

Directions

Prepare the porkBuy butcher-cleaned feet that have been split lengthwise. Keep all pork refrigerated at or below 4 °C until cooking. Do not rinse raw pork. If you see remaining hair, remove it with a clean kitchen torch or ask the butcher to finish cleaning it. Wash hands and sanitize the board, knife and tools after raw-pork contact.
Start the stockPlace the trotters, hock and shoulder in a 10-litre stockpot. Add 4.5 litres cold water; it should cover the meat by about 3 cm. Add up to 500 ml more only if needed. Bring just to a boil, skim the foam, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook partly covered for about 2½ hours.
Add the vegetables and aromaticsAdd the carrots, parsley root, celeriac, charred onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and allspice. Continue simmering gently for about 2½ hours, until the pork is thoroughly cooked and separates readily from the bones. Avoid a hard boil, which can make the broth cloudy and evaporate it too quickly.
Strain and prepare the fillingLift out the meat and vegetables with clean tongs. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, remove and discard every bone and hard piece of cartilage, then finely chop the meat. Dice the cooked carrots and discard the spent parsley root, celeriac and onion. Stir the crushed garlic and all 18 g salt into the hot strained broth. Taste with a clean spoon to check the seasoning; do not add salt beyond the listed amount.
Check the natural gelChill a tablespoon of broth on a cold plate. It should turn tacky and hold a soft gel. If it remains watery, simmer the strained broth uncovered to concentrate it, then test again. Do not add powdered gelatin to this naturally set version.
Portion and cool promptlyDivide the chopped meat and diced carrot among ten clean shallow dishes, keeping the aspic layer no deeper than about 5 cm. Ladle the hot broth over the filling, then sprinkle with the optional chopped parsley. Set the dishes in an ice-water bath if needed, then move them promptly to the refrigerator. Use a clean food thermometer to check the center of the thickest portion: it should cool from 57 °C to 21 °C within 2 hours, then to 5 °C or below within 6 hours total. Keep the dishes loosely covered while cooling, then cover tightly and refrigerate at or below 4 °C overnight.
Chill and serveOnce fully set, serve the aspic cold with cider vinegar. Keep the dishes refrigerated between servings. Do not leave this perishable dish at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when the temperature is above 32 °C.

Nutrition per serving

Servingabout 250–300 g
Caloriesabout 280 kcal
Carbohydratesabout 4 g
Proteinabout 25 g
Fatabout 18 g
Fibreabout 1 g
Sugarsabout 2 g

Approximate values per 250–300 g portion containing aspic, meat and vegetables. The estimate uses generic USDA FoodData Central composition data for cooked pork hock, pork and vegetables. The amount of edible meat, fat removed with the broth, salt retained, and final broth concentration can change the values.

Allergens and food safety

Serving, storage and make-ahead notes: Serve each portion cold, with a small splash of cider vinegar to brighten the pork-rich stock. The serving estimate includes meat, carrot and aspic; it does not include bread or other accompaniments. The optional parsley is a garnish.

Serving, storage and make-ahead notes: This aspic is served cold, so it does not need reheating. Refrigerate it at or below 4 °C and use it within 3–4 days of cooking. For longer storage, freeze portions promptly in freezer-safe containers; thaw in the refrigerator. Keep the dish cold while serving and return it to the refrigerator promptly. It is not shelf-stable.

Serving, storage and make-ahead notes: This recipe is designed to be made ahead: simmer the pork, separate and chop the meat, assemble the portions, then chill overnight until set. Keep the portions covered once fully cold. Do not leave the large stockpot on the counter to cool.

Contains celery from celeriac. Check ingredient labels for possible cross-contact. Keep raw pork refrigerated at or below 4 °C, separate from ready-to-eat foods, and do not rinse it. Clean and sanitize hands, surfaces and utensils after handling the raw meat. Simmer until the meat is fully cooked and comes away readily from the bones; remove every bone fragment before serving.

Cool the aspic in shallow portions rather than leaving it in the stockpot. Check that it cools from 57 °C to 21 °C within 2 hours and to 5 °C or below within 6 hours total. Refrigerate at or below 4 °C, use within 3–4 days or freeze, and keep cold between servings. This cooked aspic is not shelf-stable.

Check the chopped meat carefully for bone fragments before filling the dishes.

Keep the finished aspic cold during serving and refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Polish Pork Aspic (Zimne nóżki / Galareta wieprzowa)

Ingredients

For the pork and stock

For the vegetables and aromatics

To serve

Method

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

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