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TAIWAN, ONE DISH AT A TIME

Braised Pork Trotters & Hock豬腳與腿庫 · Zhu Jiao · Tui Ku

Tender skin, a satisfying bite of meat.

Pork trotters and hock make the textures of Taiwanese braising especially clear. Skin can be springy, tendons softly sticky, and meat substantial enough to retain its fibers. Served with rice or fine noodles, the dish needs little decoration. It may be the centerpiece of an individual meal or a sliced plate for the table to share.

For a first order, the most useful question is whether you want more skin and tendon or more lean meat. Names and cuts differ between shops, as do bones and portion sizes. Look at the counter or a photo and describe the texture you prefer. You do not need to memorize every cut before enjoying the dish.

Find this dish ↗How to order ↓

30 places to explore • DISHES & PLACES

欣葉小聚 南港店 — Three-Cup Pork TrottersDish photo unavailable
A Taiwan flavor, a place to visitThree-Cup Pork Trotters欣葉小聚 南港店

THE CUT

More meat or more skin?

Different parts offer different proportions of meat, tendon, and bone.

THE FLAVOR

Braising and dipping sauces vary

Some versions emphasize a rich braise; others leave more to a dip.

THE PORTION

A plate is not a rice set

Check what comes with an order before comparing sizes.

THE GUIDE MEETS THE TABLE

Where to try Braised Pork Trotters & Hock

30 SHOPS

Choose an MRT area or station, then open a shop page for the actual dish and directions.

Reset

Station codes and line colors match the selected MRT area.

30 shops in this selection

欣葉小聚 南港店 — Three-Cup Pork TrottersDish photo unavailable

BR23Nangang Software Park · 南港軟體園區Taipei / New Taipei / Wenhu Line

Three-Cup Pork Trotters

三杯 Q 彈豬腳

欣葉小聚 南港店

Shin Yeh Shiao Ju Nangang

Mature ginger, sesame oil and sauce reduce to a glossy, fragrant coating. Different cuts of trotter offer springy skin, gelatinous richness and moist meat.

See this dish at the shop
黃記魯肉飯 — Pork KnuckleDish photo unavailable

O10Zhongshan Elementary School · 中山國小Taipei / New Taipei / Zhonghe-Xinlu Line

Pork Knuckle

蹄膀

黃記魯肉飯

Huang Ji Lu Rou Fan

Springy skin and clear gelatin meet lean meat with chew but no dryness. Braising penetrates the meat and tastes sweeter with rice.

See this dish at the shop

Menus and availability may change. Check with the shop before visiting.

A FEW WORDS GO A LONG WAY

Your first order, made simple

Start with the menu and portion size. The Chinese phrases below can help you ask; choices and adjustments depend on the shop.

01

Describe the cut you want

哪一種肉比較多？哪一種皮筋比較多？

Which has more meat? Which has more skin and tendon?

02

Check bones and portion

這份有骨頭嗎？一個人吃會不會太多？

Does this have bones? Is it too much for one person?

03

Choose rice or noodles

可以配飯或麵線嗎？

Can I have it with rice or thin noodles? Check whether sides are included.

FIND YOUR FLAVOR

Pork rice, trotters, or hock with noodles?

Compare the preparation, texture, and serving style to decide what you would enjoy.

01

控肉飯

Kong rou fan

Often features a substantial slice or chunk of braised pork over rice, with visible layers of fat and lean meat. Trotters and hock also require attention to skin, tendon, and bone.

What to look for

The cut and the edible portion.

02

豬腳麵線

Pork trotters with thin noodles

Fine noodles carry sauce differently from rice. The cut of pork and whether broth is included depend on the menu.

What to look for

The serving format, not only the name.

GO A LITTLE DEEPER

Choose a texture, not just the biggest piece

Several textures in one pot

Someone who enjoys working around bones may appreciate a trotter’s skin and tendons. A diner wanting an easier rice topping can ask about meatier hock portions. These are different ways to enjoy the dish, not a ranking of better and worse cuts.

Tenderness can coexist with springiness

The ideal bite need not fall apart completely. Skin may retain bounce, lean meat some chew, while a longer braise produces a softer version. Try a small piece with rice and then by itself to understand which texture you enjoy.

Rice and noodles catch the braise differently

Rice absorbs sauce while keeping its grain texture. Fine noodles carry it along their strands. A trotter-and-noodle order may arrive mixed, with broth, or in separate components. Check the shop’s arrangement instead of expecting the same set everywhere.

The sauce need not dominate

Alongside richly braised versions, there are pork-trotter preparations served with a dipping sauce. Garlic, soy sauce, and other seasonings change the first impression. Starting with less dip lets you notice the meat and skin before adjusting the flavor.

Before your first order

Do the hock and trotter taste the same?

Their proportions of skin, tendon, lean meat, and bone differ, and shops cut them differently. Asking for more meat or more skin is often clearer than relying on a cut name alone.

Can I order it without bones?

Some shops offer boneless or sliced portions; others serve fixed bone-in cuts. Ask about the day’s options.

Do I have to order a whole trotter?

No. Look for an individual rice meal or ask about a smaller plate. Sharing is another way to compare cuts without ordering too much.

KEEP EXPLORING

Another Taiwan flavor is waiting at the next stop.

Compare another Taiwan flavor, or return to the MRT food finder.

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