Thursday 14 August 2008

Steamed pork in aromatic broth

Steamed pork in aromatic broth as lovingly described by Nige.

"This is not an easy piece to carve. I just do the best I can, cutting the soft meat away in pieces and laying them in a shallow bowl or deep plate. Then ladle the thin, aromatic broth around it. Serves 4.

2kg pork knuckle or spare rib chops, on the bone

10 spring onions

75g lump of ginger

4 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp groundnut oil

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp rice wine

1 tsp salt

3 whole star anise

1 tsp five spice powder

1 tsp crushed, dried chillies

a stick of cinnamon

a litre of stock

Fill a large pan with water, add the pork and bring it to the boil.



Simmer for 5 minutes, then lift out the pork, set aside and discard the hot water.



While the meat is simmering, trim the onions: remove the darkest part of the green stalks and discard, and chop the rest. Peel the ginger and cut the flesh into 'matchsticks'. Peel and finely slice the garlic.

Put the pan back on the heat, then add the oil. Warm it over a moderate heat then add the spring onions, ginger and garlic, and leave to soften, stirring so they do not colour. Lower in the piece of pork. Add the sugar, soy sauce and wine, salt, star anise, five spice powder, crushed chillies, cinnamon stick and then the stock.



Bring to the boil.



Once the stock is boiling, turn the heat down so that the cooking continues at a comfortable simmer, then cover with a lid. Leave to cook gently for an hour, checking occasionally that there is plenty of liquid left in the pan.



Turn the meat over, so that the other half is now under the broth, cover, and let it continue cooking for a further hour."

As you can see you meat fell off the bone and was left in a hot light broth that went well with fresh boiled rice and a cold beer. Healthy and tasty.

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