Hong Shao Rou (Braised Pork) is a traditional home-style dish in China, it plays a very important role on Spring Festival’s dinner table. It was also Chairman Mao’s favorite dish.
Braised Pork – Hong Shao Rou
Ingredients:(serves 2)
800g streaky bacon (very thick, non-smoked, non-sliced)
2 spring onion
10g ginger
4 cloves of garlic
2 star anise
1 small section of dried cinnamon stick
3 and half tbsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
2 tbsp of cooking wine
1/2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
cooking oil
Methods:
- Bring half pot/wok of water to a boil, add 5g of ginger, 2 small sections of spring onion, put the streaky bacon in to boil for about 10 – 15 minutes. Take out, wash clean in cold water and drain.
- Cut the streaky bacon into square chunks about 2.5cm thick on each side. Cut the remaining spring onion into sections about 4-5cm long, cut the remaining ginger into pieces.
- Heat up a wok over strong heat. Add 3 tbsp of cooking oil, when the oil is hot, add 3 tbsp of sugar and keeping stirring, When the sugar is melted and turns caramel, put the bacon chunks in and stir until they are covered by the caramel evenly. Add spring onion, ginger, garlic, cinnamon stick and star anise, stir until oil (fat) comes out from the meat. Then add cooking wine.
- Add just-boiled water to cover the meat, bring to a boil, add about 1/2 tbsp of dark soy sauce for color. Cover the wok with the lid, turn to low-medium heat to cook for 1 hour. Add salt for taste 15 minutes before turning off the heat.
Tip: After cooking, there should still be a good bit of broth left, don’t throw that away, put some potato and carrot chunks in and cook with the broth is super delicious too.
