Southern-Style Pig Tails

4.5
(26)

Pig tails are used in a lot of different cuisines. They are great as a meat dish with turnip greens, blackeye peas, or boiled cabbage. My recipe cooks the tails twice, and the result is a crispy crackling covering the tail that you can eat or save for crackling in cornbread. The crushed red pepper can be used liberally for a spicy taste. Be sure to buy pig tails that have a lot of meat around the upper part.

A plate of southern style pig tails served with collard greens
2
Prep Time:
25 mins
Cook Time:
2 hrs 50 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs 15 mins
Servings:
4
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings

  • 8 pig tails, rinsed

  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

  • 6 cloves garlic, halved

  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    Ingredients to make southern style pig tails

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Place pig tails in a large stockpot and fill with enough cold water to cover. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and clean the pot.

    A colander with boiled pig tails

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Return tails to the pot and cover again with cold water. Add onion, garlic, pepper flakes, and salt; bring to a boil.

    A large pot with pig tails, water, garlic, onions, pepper flakes, and salt

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Cook at a boil until tails are almost falling apart, about 2 hours.

    A pot of boiled, seasoned pig tails

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.

    A roasting pan lined with aluminum foil

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Drain pig tails and place onto the prepared roasting pan. Discard or save stock for another use.

    A foil-lined roasting pan with boiled pig tails

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Roast in the preheated oven until tails pop and sizzle and the skin browns, 30 to 40 minutes. Very carefully open the oven door and remove from the oven. Allow tails to cool before serving.

    A foil-lined roasting pan with roasted pig tails

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Recipe Tip

The leftover stock can be used to cook turnip greens, cabbage, or black-eyed peas.

29 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

408 Calories
35g Fat
5g Carbs
17g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 408
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 35g 45%
Saturated Fat 12g 61%
Cholesterol 126mg 42%
Sodium 608mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 17g 35%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 30mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 227mg 5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.