The Scene: After the Mission
It’s 2 AM. The neon-lit streets of Seoul blur past the windshield as Kim Do-gi parks his taxi one last time. The mission is done. Another corrupt predator has been exposed, another victim avenged. Now, the team at Rainbow Transportation gathers in their basement headquarters, exhausted but electric with the satisfaction of justice served.
Someone calls for delivery. Within thirty minutes, a mountain of glistening, mahogany-glazed pork arrives, still warm, sliced paper-thin and arranged in overlapping rows on a steel platter. Hands reach in. Wraps are assembled—lettuce, a slice of jokbal, a smear of fermented shrimp paste, a sliver of raw garlic. No one speaks for the first few bites.
This is Taxi Driver (모범택시)—the 2021 SBS revenge thriller that turned Lee Je-hoon into a national icon. And this is jokbal (족발), Korea’s definitive late-night feast: braised pig’s feet, simmered for hours in a dark, aromatic broth until the meat surrenders from the bone in silky, gelatinous sheets.
In a drama about ordinary people fighting back against a broken system, jokbal is the perfect food. It’s not refined. It’s not expensive. It’s the meal that blue-collar workers, taxi drivers, and night-shift laborers have shared for decades—communal, unpretentious, and deeply satisfying.
The History of Jokbal
What Is Jokbal?
Jokbal (족발) literally translates to “pig’s feet” (jok = feet, bal = feet/legs). The dish consists of pig’s trotters slow-braised in a soy sauce-based liquid infused with ginger, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, and other aromatics. After hours of simmering, the feet are deboned, sliced thin, and served at room temperature or slightly warm.
The result is extraordinary: layers of tender meat, translucent skin, and rich collagen that melts on the tongue. Each bite delivers a complex interplay of savory depth, aromatic warmth, and the subtle sweetness of long-braised pork.
From Jangchung-dong to the Nation
Jokbal’s modern story begins in Jangchung-dong (장충동), a neighborhood near Seoul’s Namsan Tower. In the 1960s and 1970s, North Korean refugees who had settled in this area began selling braised pig’s feet from small, family-run shops. The dish was economical—pig’s feet were inexpensive cuts that butchers often discarded—but in the hands of these cooks, they became something extraordinary.
Jangchung-dong quickly became synonymous with jokbal. Entire streets filled with competing shops, each claiming a secret recipe passed down through generations. By the 1980s, jokbal had spread across Seoul and then the entire country.
| Era | Development |
|---|---|
| 1960s | North Korean refugees open first jokbal shops in Jangchung-dong |
| 1970s-80s | Jangchung-dong becomes “Jokbal Street,” nationally famous |
| 1990s | Delivery culture makes jokbal Korea’s #1 late-night order |
| 2000s | Premium and fusion variants emerge (garlic jokbal, fire jokbal) |
| 2020s | K-Drama exposure brings global recognition |
The Late-Night Ritual
Understanding jokbal means understanding Korea’s nighttime food culture. After work, after soju, after the last subway has departed—this is when jokbal shines. It’s ordered by phone (now by app), delivered in generous portions, and shared among friends, colleagues, or family huddled around a table.
Why pig’s feet at night? The collagen-rich meat is believed to be excellent for skin health—a claim Korean women have championed for generations. The protein helps absorb alcohol. And the communal act of wrapping and eating together extends the conversation, turning a simple meal into hours of connection.
For the Rainbow Transportation team in Taxi Driver, gathering over jokbal after a dangerous mission isn’t just eating. It’s decompression. It’s trust. It’s the unspoken bond between people who risk everything for each other.
The Recipe: Traditional Jokbal
Ingredients
- 2 pig's feet (trotters) (about 2 kg total, cleaned)
- Korean soy sauce (jinganjang) (1 cup, for braising) Amazon →
- Korean rice wine (mirim or mirin) (½ cup) Amazon →
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 10 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 large piece of ginger (5 cm), sliced
- 2 large green onions (daepa), cut in half
- Star anise (3-4 pieces) Amazon →
- Cinnamon sticks (2 sticks)
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar or Korean oligodang
- Water (enough to cover the feet)
For Wrapping and Dipping:
- Korean fermented shrimp paste (saeujeot) (essential dipping sauce) Amazon →
- Lettuce leaves for wrapping
- Sliced raw garlic
- Sliced green chili peppers
- Ssamjang (Korean dipping paste) Amazon →
Equipment
- Large stockpot or pressure cooker (pressure cooker reduces time significantly)
- Sharp slicing knife
- Large cutting board
Video Tutorial
실제 족발집 레시피로 집에서 만드는 족발
Instructions
Step 1: Clean and Blanch the Pig’s Feet
Soak the pig’s feet in cold water for 1-2 hours to draw out blood. Drain, then place in a large pot with fresh cold water. Add a splash of rice wine and a few slices of ginger. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes. This blanching step removes impurities and the strong pork smell. Drain and rinse each piece under cold water, scrubbing off any remaining debris.
Step 2: Prepare the Braising Liquid
In a clean large pot, combine water (enough to cover the feet), soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, onion, garlic, ginger, green onions, star anise, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
Step 3: Braise Low and Slow
Add the blanched pig’s feet to the braising liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours, turning the feet occasionally, until the meat is extremely tender and easily pulls away from the bone.
Pressure cooker shortcut: Cook on high pressure for 45-50 minutes, then natural release for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Cool and Firm Up
Remove the pig’s feet from the braising liquid and let them cool for 20-30 minutes. This cooling step is important—it allows the collagen to set slightly, making the meat easier to slice cleanly. The skin should be glossy and deep brown.
Step 5: Debone and Slice
Using a sharp knife, remove the bones from the cooled pig’s feet. Slice the boneless meat into thin pieces (about 5mm thick), cutting against the grain. Arrange the slices on a serving platter, showing off the beautiful layers of meat, fat, and translucent skin.
Step 6: Prepare the Accompaniments
Set up a wrapping station: lettuce leaves, sliced raw garlic, green chili peppers, saeujeot (fermented shrimp paste), and ssamjang. The traditional way to eat jokbal is to place a slice of meat on a lettuce leaf, add a dab of saeujeot and a sliver of garlic, wrap it up, and eat in one bite.
FAQ
What does jokbal taste like?
The meat itself is mild and savory, infused with the aromatics from hours of braising. The skin has a silky, gelatinous texture that’s unlike anything in Western cuisine—imagine the richest, most tender pulled pork, but with an additional layer of collagen-rich skin that melts on your tongue. The saeujeot dipping sauce provides a salty, umami punch that elevates each bite.
Why is fermented shrimp paste (saeujeot) so important?
Saeujeot is to jokbal what wasabi is to sushi—not optional. The tiny fermented shrimp provide an intense salty-umami flavor that cuts through the richness of the pork. It also contains enzymes that aid in digesting the heavy protein. In Korea, ordering jokbal without saeujeot would be unthinkable.
Can I use a slow cooker instead?
Yes. Place the blanched pig’s feet and all braising ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours. The result will be extremely tender—potentially even more so than stovetop braising. Just be aware that slow-cooker jokbal may be slightly harder to slice neatly due to the extra tenderness.
What’s the difference between regular jokbal and bul-jokbal?
Bul-jokbal (불족발, “fire pig’s feet”) is a spicy variation where sliced jokbal is stir-fried with gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), gochujang, and garlic. The result is a fiery, sweet-spicy version that’s become hugely popular as a drinking snack. Regular jokbal is mild and relies on its dipping sauces for flavor, while bul-jokbal brings the heat directly.
Is jokbal really good for skin?
Korean women have long believed that the high collagen content in pig’s feet benefits skin elasticity and hydration. While modern science confirms that dietary collagen is broken down during digestion (so it doesn’t directly become skin collagen), pig’s feet are genuinely rich in protein, gelatin, and amino acids that support overall skin health. Whether it’s the collagen or the placebo effect, generations of Korean women swear by it.
How do I store leftover jokbal?
Wrap leftover sliced jokbal tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, steam the slices for 5-7 minutes until warm and soft again. Alternatively, cold jokbal straight from the fridge is a legitimate way to eat it—many Koreans actually prefer the firmer texture of chilled jokbal, as the set collagen gives each slice a pleasant, bouncy bite.
Why is Jangchung-dong famous for jokbal?
Jangchung-dong, a neighborhood near Seoul’s Namsan Tower, became Korea’s jokbal capital in the 1960s when North Korean refugees opened small pork shops there. These families brought recipes and techniques from the North, where braised pork dishes had a slightly different tradition. Competition between shops drove innovation and quality, and by the 1980s, “Jangchung-dong Jokbal” had become a nationally recognized brand. Today, the street still hosts dozens of jokbal restaurants, some operating for over 50 years.
Make It Tonight
There’s a reason jokbal has survived decades of food trends in Korea. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t photograph as beautifully as some Korean dishes. But when you slice into that glistening, mahogany-glazed pork, lay it on a crisp lettuce leaf with a dot of saeujeot and a whisper of garlic, and fold it into your mouth—you understand. This is food that rewards patience. Hours of slow braising. Years of family tradition. The quiet satisfaction of something done right.
In Taxi Driver, the Rainbow team fights for people who have no one else to fight for them. Jokbal is their victory meal—humble, honest, and shared with the people who matter most.
오늘 밤, 모범택시 정주행하면서 직접 만든 족발과 함께하는 건 어떨까요?
Hero image: “Korean Food Jokbal, pork feet” by Jo Hanshin, CC0 Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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Part of our K-Drama Kitchen series—cooking the dishes that made us hungry while watching.
