Pig's tail

Queue de porc

What it is

A pig's tail is skin, cartilage and almost no meat, which puts it at the far end of the counter from oxtail despite the family resemblance. Most farmed pigs are docked in the first days of life to stop tail-biting in close quarters, so a full-length tail on the block usually means an animal that had room.

In the kitchen

Braise ninety minutes, until a skewer passes through the cartilage, then dry them and finish under a hot grill or in a 220 °C oven until the skin blisters. Both stages are compulsory: braised alone they are flabby, roasted alone they stay tough.

Goes with

Savoy cabbage Potato Onion Bay leaf Dijon mustard Black pepper Mustard greens Cider vinegar

Same species

Andouillette Boudin blanc Natural casings Caul fat Chorizo Ciauscolo

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