Recipes

Red braised pork hock with shiitakes and black vinegar

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Ingredients

  • •
    2 large pork hocks, from the hind quarter
  • •
    60g dried shiitake mushrooms
  • •
    30ml chinkiang black vinegar

Master stock

  • •
    2 litres chicken stock
  • •
    375ml dark soy
  • •
    50ml sesame oil
  • •
    320ml shoa xing rice wine
  • •
    250g Chinese yellow rock sugar
  • •
    2 sticks cassia bark
  • •
    5 star anise
  • •
    3 pieces mandarin peel
  • •
    150g ginger, peeled and cut into 5mm thick rings
  • •
    1 bunch shallots, roots removed and cut to 5cm lengths

Method

  1. 1.
    Soak shiitakes overnight in cold water, then remove stems with strong scissors.
  2. 2.
    Bone the hocks, keeping the meat and skin in one piece. Roll each one, wrap with muslin and tie securely with butcher’s twine.
  3. 3.
    Place all master stock ingredients into a large pot, bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes.
  4. 4.
    Place soaked shiitakes in a small pot and add enough strained master stock to cover. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms from stock and allow to cool. Once cool, cut into 5mm slices.
  5. 5.
    Cook tied pork hocks in remaining master stock at a very gently simmer for 3 hours. Remove from stock and allow to cool completely. Strain about 2 litres of master stock and reduce slightly in a clean pot. Reserve remaining master stock (you can mix in the mushroom stock as well) for next time.
  6. 6.
    When cold and set hard, untie and unwrap hocks. Deep fry them at 180°C for about 5 minutes, until skin is golden brown and starting to bubble. Be careful, they will spit!
  7. 7.
    Return fried hocks and sliced shittakes to the reduced master stock to heat through and re-soften the skin.
  8. 8.
    When ready to serve, thickly slice the hocks and top with sliced shiitakes and some reduced stock. Drizzle with black vinegar. Serve with Chinese greens and steamed rice.