Mexican Pig's Feet Salad

Adapted from "Recipes from the Regional Cooks of Mexico," by Diana Kennedy (HarperCollins, 1978). Kennedy's original recipe calls for leaving the pig's feet on the bone. Ask the butcher to quarter the pig's feet for you, cutting them in half lengthwise, then crosswise.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 pounds pig's feet, quartered

Sea salt

1 1/2 pounds white onions, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

1 can (approximately 8 ounces) chiles jalapenos en escabeche (pickled jalapeno chiles)

1 pound tomatoes, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Put the pig's feet in a large pot, cover generously with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 1 minute, then drain and rinse. Return to a clean pot with fresh water to cover. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a simmer, skimming any foam. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the pig's feet are tender but not falling off the bone, about 2 hours. Drain.

When the pig's feet are cool enough to handle, remove the bones. Let cool completely, then slice the meat thinly.

While the pig's feet are cooking, put the sliced onion in a large bowl, cover with cold water and let stand 1 hour. Drain and return to the bowl. Add the wine vinegar, oil, oregano, juice from the canned chiles and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Slice the jalapenos into rounds and add to the bowl. If the canned chiles include pickled carrots, add them to the bowl as well. Add the sliced pig's feet and the tomatoes and toss gently but well. Season with pepper and with more salt if necessary.

Refrigerate for a day before serving.

Serves 8

PER SERVING: 510 calories, 33 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 36 g fat (10 g saturated), 150 mg cholesterol, 878 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.