Soy-Braised Pork Shoulder/Pork Hock (Ti Pang)

My mom is a master with this dish - she makes it for all of our birthdays and often with long life noodles on the side. This is my first crack at it, and it turned out surprisingly delish (just a few ingredients and the cooking method is very similar to that which I use for making braised pork bellies). The key is to cook it low and slow until it's super tender. The onion, carrot, and tomato aren't traditional, but they definitely lend a nice boost of flavor to this dish. 

Ingredients:
5 lbs. pork picnic shoulder with the rind on, or pork hock 
5 1" slices of fresh ginger

5 scallions, cut into 2" sections
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup rice or Shaohsing wine
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark soy sauce

3 tbsp. rock sugar (to taste)
3 star anise
5 whole cloves
1 tsp. Szechuan Peppercorns
1 black cardamom pod
4-5" piece of cinnamon stick
1 tsp. fennel seeds
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. black peppercorns
2 small dried red chiles

1 medium carrot, cut into large dice
1 tomato, quartered
1 small onion, quartered
6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water until softened & then stemmed and cut in half.

1 tbsp. cornstarch plus 2 tbsp. water
1 tsp. sesame oil

Sauteed Bok Choy (optional)


Garnish:
Chopped fresh cilantro

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat (the pot should be just large enough to fit the pork comfortably - don't use a honking big stock pot). Add pork shoulder and cook for about 5 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms on top and then drain the water.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot plus just enough water to cover 3/4 of the way up the pork. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, covered for 3-4 hours, turning the pork over a few times. Cook until the sauce is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups (if not, uncover the last 30 minutes and increase heat to medium). 

NOTE FOR CLAY POT COOKING: you can also transfer the mixture to a clay pot after cooking for two hours, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, then cover and simmer for another 1-2 hours. 

3. Remove the pork and shiitake mushrooms to a serving bowl or plate, then strain the cooking liquid through a sieve. 

4. Return the sauce to the pot and reduce until it has thickened (you can also thicken the sauce with 1 tbsp. of cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp. water). Stir in 1 tsp. of sesame oil to the sauce then pour over the pork and mushrooms. 

Serve with steamed white rice on the side and sauteed bok choy.

Pork picnic shoulder.

Place the pork in a medium stock pot and cover with water. 

Blanch the pork in boiling water for 5 minutes or until the foam/scum boils up to the top.
Drain the water from the pan, rinse the pork briefly, and rinse out the pot. 

Shiitake mushrooms, rehydrating in warm water.

Soy sauce, rock sugar, rice wine and star anise.

Place the blanched pork back into the pan, then add 2 cups water (or enough to cover the pork 3/4 of the way up), onion, carrots, tomato, shiitakes, soy sauce, rice wine, rock sugar and spices. Boil and then bring down to a low simmer. Cover and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the sauce has reduced to about 1 1/2 cups.

For the clay pot version, I cook the pork as noted above in a regular pot for 2 hours, then transfer the entire mixture to a clay pot and simmer, covered for another 1-2 hours. For a thicker sauce, strain and return to a pan and bring to a boil; thicken with cornstarch slurry, then pour over the pork in the serving dish.

 Voila! Garnish with some chopped fresh cilantro before serving.

Here's another plating.