RED BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

A Chinese method of cooking a pork roast

I got this recipe originally from the San Francisco Chronicle. It uses some ingredients that might be hard to get in some parts of the country, but suggests alternatives.

Ingredients

(Serves 10-15)

2 to 3 kg pork shoulder, with bone and rind
water
180 ml dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
80 ml dark soy sauce
6 crystals Chinese yellow rock sugar (each crystal about 2.5 cm square). Or use 60 g granulated sugar.
7.5 ml salt (or to taste)
6 star anise cloves
1 cinnamon stick (5 cm long)
4 small dried chili peppers (optional)
3 pieces dried tangerine peel (optional)
6 garlic cloves (crushed)
4 thick slices ginger
1 whole scallion trimmed
2 bunches spinach washed

Procedure

Put the pork in a large pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse.
Again add the pork to the pot with fresh water to cover, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium, partially cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients (except the spinach), and simmer the pork for another 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The rind and the fat should be very soft when it's done.
Remove the pork from the liquid and keep it warm. Strain the sauce into a large skillet and reduce it over high heat. This may take a while, depending on how much liquid you end up with.
Meanwhile, steam the spinach until just wilted, salt it lightly, and keep it warm. When the sauce is reduced (it should be the consistency of a thin syrup), put the pork shoulder in the center of a large platter, arrange the spinach around it, and pour the sauce over.

Rating

Difficulty: moderate.
Time: 30 minutes preparation, \3-4 hours cooking.
Precision: approximate measurement OK.

Contributor

 
Jeff Lichtman  
Relational Technology, Inc., Alameda, California 
{amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff 
{ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff 
 
"Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent.."

Recipe last modified: 31 Dec 85

Original header

From: jeff@rtech (Jeff Lichtman)
Newsgroups: mod.recipes
Subject: RECIPE: Red Braised Pork Shoulder
Date: 24 Jan 86 05:14:23 GMT
Organization: Relational Technology Inc., Alameda CA
Approved: reid@decwrl.UUCP

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