Cherry Pork

Name: Cherry Pork
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 50 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1 (about 650 g) Pork rib belly (scraped clean, skin scored in a pattern); 65 g Rock sugar (added in two batches); 150 g Red yeast rice water (strained); 250 g Pea shoots (washed); 0.5 g MSG; 800 g Pork broth; 35 g Shaoxing wine; 11.5 g Fine salt (used in stages: 10 g for braising, 1.5 g for pea shoots); 10 g Scallion knot; 5 g Ginger slices; 25 g Cooked rapeseed oil

A classic dish from Jiangsu cuisine, shaped like cherries with a glossy red glaze. The pork is tender, rich, and mellow, melting in the mouth, and is traditionally served with pea shoots for a vibrant red-and-green contrast.

2h 15m

Easy

0 favorites

Ingredients

Pork rib belly (scraped clean, skin scored in a pattern) 1 (about 650 g)

Rock sugar (added in two batches) 65 g

Red yeast rice water (strained) 150 g

Pea shoots (washed) 250 g

MSG 0.5 g

Pork broth 800 g

Shaoxing wine 35 g

Fine salt (used in stages: 10 g for braising, 1.5 g for pea shoots) 11.5 g

Scallion knot 10 g

Ginger slices 5 g

Cooked rapeseed oil 25 g

Instructions

Pre-treating the meat block

Scrape the pork rib belly clean, place it in a pot of boiling water, and boil over high heat for about 10 minutes, then remove and rinse. With the skin facing up, use a knife to score the skin surface in a grid pattern of small squares about 1.5 cm across (cutting down to the first layer of lean meat but not cutting through).

Braising the meat

Place a bamboo rack at the bottom of a clay pot as a base, set the meat block on top (skin facing up), pour in the pork broth, and add the scallion knot, ginger slices, Shaoxing wine, 10 g fine salt, and red yeast rice water. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes.

Seasoning and reducing the sauce

Add 32.5 g of the rock sugar, cover again, and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender (about 1 hour). Then add the remaining 32.5 g rock sugar and cook over medium heat until the braising liquid thickens.

Plating

Remove from the heat, pick out the scallion and ginger, take out the rib bone, place the meat in the center of a long oval serving dish with the skin facing up, and pour the original braising sauce over it.

Stir-frying the garnish

Heat a wok over high heat, add the rapeseed oil, then add the pea shoots, 1.5 g fine salt, and MSG. Stir-fry until bright green, then remove and arrange at both ends of the meat block.

Making red yeast rice water

Crush 50 g red yeast rice, place it in a pot with 1000 g water, bring to a boil over high heat, then strain out the solids to obtain the red yeast rice water.