Braised Pork Hock in Spicy Bean Sauce
A classic Sichuan braised pork hock made with fermented broad bean paste (doubanjiang). Glossy red in color, with tender, glutinous-textured meat that is rich yet not greasy, finished with a mildly spicy, savory aroma.
Ingredients
Pork hock (boneless, washed, blanched, cut into large cubes)
500 g
Chicken bones (to line the pot bottom)
to taste
Green garlic sprouts (lightly stir-fried to line the plate)
100 g
Pixian doubanjiang (finely chopped, stir-fried until red, then strained)
25 g
Lard (for stir-frying the doubanjiang)
50 g
Fresh stock
500 g
Salt
3 g
Cooking wine
15 g
Caramel color
15 g
Vegetable oil (for stir-frying the garlic sprouts)
30 g
Water chestnut starch slurry (for thickening)
15 g
Instructions
1
Pre-preparation
Wash the pork hock and blanch it together with the chicken bones in a pot, then remove and rinse clean. Score the hock into large cubes with a knife. Line the pot with the chicken bone rack and place the hock skin-side down on top of the bones.
2
Frying the soup base
Heat a wok over the stove, melt the lard, then add the finely chopped doubanjiang and stir-fry until it turns red. Pour in the fresh stock, strain out the doubanjiang residue, add the salt, cooking wine, and caramel color, and pour the seasoned broth into the pot holding the pork hock.
3
Simmering
Bring the pot to a rolling boil over high heat, skim off any foam, then reduce to low heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened and the meat is fork-tender. Remove the pork hock from the pot.
4
Plating
Heat oil in a wok, add the green garlic sprouts, salt, and cooking wine, stir-fry briefly, then transfer to a serving plate to form a bed. Place the pork hock skin-side up on top of the sprouts.
5
Reducing the sauce
Reduce the original braising liquid until concentrated, add the water chestnut starch slurry to thicken, continue reducing until the oil glistens on the surface, then spoon the glossy sauce over the pork hock and serve.
