Chinese Braised Pork Shoulder
 
 
Recipe adapted from Fuchsia Dunlop "Land of Fish and Rice"
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2½ pounds of pork shoulder
  • 1 2" (25g) piece of ginger, skin on
  • 1 scallion, white part only
  • 1 tbsp neutral flavored cooking oil (canola, grapeseed etc.)
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 small piece of cassia bark or cinnamon stick
  • 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 2½ cups hot water
  • 1¾ tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1½ tbsp dark soy sauce, plus 1-2 tsp
  • 2½ tbsp sugar
Instructions
  1. Cut the pork into 1½'' cubes and place into a pot. Cover the pot with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the meat under cold water. Allow to drain.
  2. Smash the ginger and scallion gently with a rolling pin to loosen the fibers.
  3. Add the oil to a Dutch oven, or heavy bottom pot over high heat. Once hot, add the ginger, scallion, star anise, and cassia and stir-fry briefly until they smell aromatic about 2 minutes. Add the pork and fry for another 2-3 minutes or until the meat is barely golden. Splash the Shaoxing around the edges of the pan. Add the hot water, light soy sauce and 1½ tbsp of the dark soy sauce, and the sugar. Bring to a boil, then cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  4. Pour into a glass bowl or pot. Allow to cool, then chill overnight. The next day, remove the layer of pale fat that has settled on the surface. Put the meat and jellied liquid back into the dutch oven and reheat gently. Then boil over a medium-high flame to reduce the sauce, stirring constantly. Remove and discard the ginger, whatever you can find of the spring onion, and spices. After 10-15 minutes, when the liquid has reduced by half, stir in 1 teaspoon of the dark soy sauce. Taste it. If it tastes like it needs more salt, add the remaining 1 tsp.
  5. Shortly before you are about to serve. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce the sauce to a dark sleek gravy. Then transfer to a serving dish. Serve with hot white rice and greens. If you have any leftovers, reheat with a little water.
Recipe by Cooks and Kid at https://cooksandkid.com/chinese-braised-pork-shoulder/