Pine Nut Pork

Name: Pine Nut Pork
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 5 min
Ingredients: 2000 g Boneless rib meat (trimmed into a rectangle and flattened); 50 g Shrimp (finely chopped into a paste); 75 g Pine nuts (blanched in oil); 150 g Pea shoots (stir-fried and used as a plate border); 15 g Shrimp roe; 10 g Fine salt; 25 g Soy sauce; 40 g Shaoxing wine; 5 g Star anise; 10 g MSG; 30 g Sugar; 10 g each Scallion and ginger; to taste Egg paste (spread on the meat surface and exterior)

A classic Zhejiang specialty: pork rib meat stuffed with shrimp mousse and pine nuts, then braised until fork-tender. The result is silky, tofu-soft meat that is flavorful yet never greasy.

3h 5m

Easy

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Ingredients

Boneless rib meat (trimmed into a rectangle and flattened) 2000 g

Shrimp (finely chopped into a paste) 50 g

Pine nuts (blanched in oil) 75 g

Pea shoots (stir-fried and used as a plate border) 150 g

Shrimp roe 15 g

Fine salt 10 g

Soy sauce 25 g

Shaoxing wine 40 g

Star anise 5 g

MSG 10 g

Sugar 30 g

Scallion and ginger 10 g each

Egg paste (spread on the meat surface and exterior) to taste

Instructions

Prepare the shrimp-pork paste

Place the rib meat on a cutting board and use a knife to trim it into a rectangular shape, flattening the meat surface. Finely chop the trimmed trimmings and the shrimp separately into pastes, then combine them with the seasonings and mix well to form a uniform shrimp-pork paste.

Roast the meat block

Skewer the meat block on a roasting fork and hold it over charcoal fire until the skin is charred black. Remove and plunge into cold water, then scrape off the burnt bits and rinse clean. Score small square crosshatches on the meat side and diagonal crosshatches on the skin side. Spread a thin layer of egg paste over the meat surface, then evenly distribute the shrimp-pork paste on top and lightly tamp it down with a knife.

Add pine nuts and pan-fry

After blanching the pine nuts in hot oil, evenly spread them over the shrimp-pork paste and lightly press them in. Coat the surface with another layer of egg paste, then place the block skin-side up in a pan and fry until golden brown.

Braise

Take a clay pot and line the bottom with a bamboo mat. Place the meat block skin-side down inside, then add the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, scallion, ginger, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skim off any foam, cover, and move to low heat to braise for 2 hours until completely tender. Remove from the heat once the sauce has thickened and reduced.

Plate the dish

Stir-fry the pea shoots with seasonings and arrange them around the rim of a serving platter. Lift the meat block from the clay pot, place it skin-side up in the center of the platter, and spoon the braising sauce over the top. Serve immediately.