Chinese Style Red Cooked Pork
Posted on 30. Dec, 2009 by grace in Chinese, GF-Adaptable, Meat
Here’s a recipe for that fall-apart-tender, rich, braised pork redolent of star anise that you find on Chinese menus. It’s traditionally made with fresh, uncured pork belly–a fatty cut with streaks of meat that’s become popular with non-Chinese chefs. But not everyone is happy eating a solid piece of pork fat (I don’t know why, it’s delicious). I’m suggesting pork butt, which is acutally from the animal’s shoulder. If using pork belly, omit the frying. Instead, cut the belly into 1 or 2-inch cubes and blanch the cubes in a large pot of boiling water for a minute or two before proceding with the recipe as directed.
Chinese Style Red Cooked Pork
By Mitchell Davis, Kitchen Sense: More than 600 Recipes to Make You a Great Home Cook
Makes 4 to 6 servings
2 to 3 pounds boneless pork butt
1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
1/3 cup white, light brown, or dark brown sugar (see note)
1 small (6-ounce) onion, sliced
2 or 3 scallions, white and green parts, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 walnut-size piece ginger, cut in half
1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
1 or 2 whole star anise, depending on how much you like the flavor of licorice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark soy sauce, or more of the regular soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine, gin, or dry (amontillado) sherry
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce, or other hot sauce (optional)
1 handful chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
1. Cut the pork butt into 2-inch chunks or cubes. Don’t worry if they are uneven or if some pieces are fattier than others. Heat a large sauté pan on high heat. Add enough oil to make a shallow, even layer. When the oil is hot, add the pork. Fry for a minute or two on each side until the meat has siezed and browned slightly. As the pieces are done, remove them from the pan (tongs work well) and transfer them to a medium-size, heavy saucepan.
2. To the pork in the saucepan add the sugar, onion, scallions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, soy sauces, rice wine (or gin or sherry), ketchup, and hot sauce, if using. Add about 3 cups of cold water, or just enough to cover the meat. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to a very low simmer, set the cover ajar, and braise for about 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender enought to separate with a fork. If the cooking liquid gets syrupy, add some more water. Serve on white rice, sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro.
The same recipe can be used to make a delicious red-cooked beef, too. There are many ways to make the pork red, the most common of which is the addition of red food coloring. Since I don’t think the color’s that important, I leave mine a deep brown, soy-sauce color.
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