Braised Pork Trotters with Sea Cucumber
This Shandong-style braised sea cucumber with pork trotter has a glossy red hue, with the trotter tender and aromatic and the sea cucumber soft and delicious.
Ingredients
Rehydrated sea cucumber (washed and sliced in half lengthwise)
750 g
Pork trotters (scraped clean, with a slit cut on the outer side)
2
Vegetable oil (approximately 50 g actually used)
800 g
Rendered lard
100 g
Ginger (smashed)
15 g
Soy sauce
15 g
Cooking wine
25 g
Scallion-ginger oil
20 g
Salt
20 g
Sugar
50 g
MSG
5 g
Scallion segments
25 g
Caramel coloring
a pinch
Wet cornstarch
to taste
Chicken stock
1.5 kg
Instructions
1
Step 1
Scrape and wash the pork trotters clean, make a slit on the outer side, blanch them in boiling water, then drain. Heat vegetable oil in a wok to about 70% hot, fry the pork trotters until golden brown, remove and drain the oil. Wash the sea cucumbers and cut each one in half lengthwise with a straight cut; set aside.
2
Step 2
Heat the lard in a wok, sauté the scallion segments and smashed ginger, then pour in the cooking wine and soy sauce. Add the MSG, chicken stock, salt, and caramel coloring. Place a rack (or similar support) in the wok, set the pork trotters on top, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 hour. Flip the trotters over, then continue cooking over low heat until the trotters become tender. Transfer the pork trotters to a serving plate.
3
Step 3
Pick out and discard the scallion segments and ginger, then remove the rack. Place the sea cucumbers into the wok and simmer for 3 minutes. Thicken the sauce with wet cornstarch, drizzle with the scallion-ginger oil, and serve.
