Hong Shao Rou (Red-Cooked Pork)
#11
  Re: (...)
I debated posting this recipe for two reasons - one, in our little burg it's difficult to find some ingredients and I end up ordering over the internet (don't know how many like to do that) and second, Sharon is in the middle of her move and she's going to be so annoyed knowing she can't make this right now. But, what the heck.

This dish is so good, we were almost licking the bowls!! I took it to our friends to share (half of it anyway) because he had had this dish at some time in his life and he was the one who found the recipe for me to try. I have another half here at home for tomorrow's dinner. If you have been wanting to play with a pork belly, you'd have to go far to find a better dish than this one.

Hong Shao Rou
(Red-Cook Pork) Serves 4-6
Red-cooked dishes are typical of the cuisine of Shanghai.

5 lbs. lean pork belly with skin, cut into 1 1/2” cubes
24.5 oz. bottle shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)
2” piece ginger, lightly crushed
1 – 1 1/2 cups Japanese soy saue
2 large pieces rock sugar*
2 T. Chinese dark soy sauce**

Put the pork in a medium heavy-bottomed pot and cover with cold water by 1”. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until most of the foam has stopped rising to the surface, about 5 minutes. Drain meat in a colander and rinse well under cold water.

Clean pot, then add pork, shaoxing, ginger, and just enough cold water to cover, about 3 cups. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until meat begins to get tender, about 40 minutes. (Some of the liquid will have evaporated.) Add enough Japanese soy sauce to just cover the meat, and continue simmering, stirring often, until meat is tender when pierced with a chopstick, about 20 minutes.

Add rock sugar and dark soy sauce and gently stir, without breaking up pieces of meat, until sugar dissolves. Continue simmering 5 minutes more. The finished sauce should be glossy ad silky like a glaze.

Serve with white rice or garlic noodles – see recipe below.
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*the rock sugar – I ordered it from Teavana.com – when I rec’d it, the grains (or pieces were pretty small, so I called the company/source who was referenced in the recipe and they said their rock sugar came in the size of a woman’s fist – much, much bigger than what I had, so I used 1/2 cup of my sugar and it worked great.

**I didn’t have dark soy sauce (which is a little thicker and sweeter than regular) so I used Kecap Manis, sweet soy sauce – worked fine.

Da-Suan Chao Mian
Garlic Noodles

Do not rinse the chao mian noodles after you cook them the starch on the surface helps them ‘grab’ the garlic flavor.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 lb. fresh chao mian-style wheat noodles*** and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile heat 3 T. peanut oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 6-8 minced peeled garlic cloves and stir-fry until fragrant and soft, about 30 seconds.

Drain the noodles, then immediately add to wok. Add 2 tsp Japanese soy sauce and 1 tsp. oyster sauce and season with a little salt. Toss noodles in wok until mixed well and hot but not fried, 1 – 1 1/2 minutes. Serves 2-4

***Again, I didn’t have the right noodles, so used cappellini and cooked for the 2 min.

Oh my, this is the tastiest dish I’ve made in a long time!! (Sorry Sharon )
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#12
  Re: Hong Shao Rou (Red-Cooked Pork) by cjs (I debated posting th...)
Okay - I have everything on hand but the shaoxing and the pork belly. My rock sugar is also smaller chunks but I know where to get the big ones. Still have to eat ya know! We'll have to make a "last" trip to the Asian supermarket for a while. It looks like a wonderful meal. Thanks for sharing! This goes on the menu for next week.
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
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#13
  Re: Re: Hong Shao Rou (Red-Cooked Pork) by Harborwitch (Okay - I have everyt...)
How about just making rock sugar the old-fashioned way, with super-saturated sugar water and a piece of string?
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#14
  Re: Re: Hong Shao Rou (Red-Cooked Pork) by labradors (How about just makin...)
go for it, labs....
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#15
  Re: Re: Hong Shao Rou (Red-Cooked Pork) by cjs (go for it, labs.... ...)
OMG I forgot about making "rock candy"....wow flash back
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#16
  Re: Re: Hong Shao Rou (Red-Cooked Pork) by DFen911 (OMG I forgot about m...)
Jean, you're killing me! I have GOT to find me some pork belly! This sounds soooo good!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#17
  Re: Hong Shao Rou (Red-Cooked Pork) by cjs (I debated posting th...)
I made this Sunday night - and all I can say is OMG!!! My only question now is - is it beyond decadent to eat this once, or maybe twice a week???? I was going to make the little steamed buns - but the I don't think there'll be enough meat left.

Yesterday a girlfriend came over to help me pack up the china cabinet (almost got it all) and she tried this and went nuts!

Jean thank you for posting this - it is a TRUE winner!
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
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#18
  Re: Re: Hong Shao Rou (Red-Cooked Pork) by Harborwitch (I made this Sunday n...)
Sharon, did you have it with the garlic noodles? I'm with you, I could eat this 2-3times a week!
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#19
  Re: Re: Hong Shao Rou (Red-Cooked Pork) by cjs (Sharon, did you have...)
We had it with the garlic noodles! They were fantastic! Pork belly rules!!! I'm going to have to go get a BIG bag of the big rock sugar!!! Too bad we pigged out on it last night - d@mn that would make some good breakfast!

We put the cooked (!) potroast and all the components for the rest of the planned dinner in the fridge and ate leftover Hong Shao Rou and whooped it up!
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
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#20
  Re: Re: Hong Shao Rou (Red-Cooked Pork) by Harborwitch (We had it with the g...)
Well, I guess my pork belly days are far from now. I finally checked with my local grocer and he said he has never seen it...pork stomachs, but no pork belly...DANG! I will be checking in Wilmington when I go, though. If I find it, I sure will be buying in bulk!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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