Ingredients: 1 pig's forehoof (750g), refined salt, Shaoxing wine, chives, ginger, prickly ash, anise, edible nitre

Recipe:

1. Remove the bones from the hoof and place it on the chopping board with the skin downside. Make several small holes with bamboo sticks on the lean meat and pour in 25g edible nitre water in the holes. Surface the hoof with 75g salt and put it in an earthen bowl. Pickle for 6 hours in summer or 2 days in winter. Take it out and marinate in water for 4 hours or so to remove the unpleasant smell. Take it out and clean it with warm water.
2. Put the hoof in the wok with the skin upside. Add some chive ties, ginger pieces, Shaoxing wine, fennel, prickly ash and anise (fennel, prickly ash and anise are wrapped in small sacks) and 1,000g water. Cover the wok and bring to a boil. Stew for 2.5 hours over a gentle fire. Take it out when it is tender.
3. Put the done hoof in a deep basin with the skin downside. Cover it with an empty basin which is pressed by something heavy. Take away the empty basin and the heavy item after the hoof has been pressed flat. Bring a boil to the gravy. Remove the foam and add some fresh pork skin jelly. After the gravy is done, pour it in the basin to cover the hoof. Let it cool down and freeze in some cool place (in a refrigerator when it is hot).