Pine Nut Pork

Name: Pine Nut Pork
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 2 h 10 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Ingredients: 2000 g boneless pork ribs; 50 g shrimp (minced); 75 g pine nuts; 150 g pea shoots; 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 (for coating)

Pine Nut Pork A classic traditional Jiangsu dish. Pork is first roasted, its charred outer layer is scraped off, then combined with minced shrimp and steamed. The finished dish is tender and fall-apart, rich and fatty without being greasy, accented by the fragrant aroma of pine nuts.

2h 45m

Medium

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Ingredients

boneless pork ribs 2000 g

shrimp (minced) 50 g

pine nuts 75 g

pea shoots 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 (for coating) to taste

Instructions

Prepare the shrimp paste

Place the pork ribs on a cutting board and trim them into a rectangular block, leveling the meat surface. Mince the trimmed-off scraps and the shrimp separately into fine pastes, then combine with seasonings and stir well into a uniform shrimp-and-pork paste.

Roast the pork skin

Skewer the pork block on a roasting fork and hold it over a charcoal fire until the skin is charred black. Remove and plunge into cold water, then scrape off the burnt bits and rinse clean.

Score the surface

Score a small crosshatch pattern of squares on the meat side of the block, and a diagonal crosshatch pattern on the skin side.

Spread the shrimp paste

Brush a thin layer of egg paste over the meat side, then spread the shrimp-and-pork paste evenly on top, lightly tapping it flat with the flat of a knife.

Add the pine nuts

Quickly pass the pine nuts through hot oil, then scatter them evenly over the shrimp paste. Press down lightly and brush another layer of egg paste over the surface.

Pan-fry

Place the block skin-side up into a pan and pan-fry until the surface turns golden brown.

Braise

Line a clay pot with a bamboo mat and place the pork block inside skin-side down. Add the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, scallion, ginger, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skim off the foam, cover, and move to low heat to braise for 2 hours until tender. Remove from heat once the sauce has thickened.

Plate and serve

Stir-fry the pea shoots with seasonings and arrange them around the edge of a serving plate. Lift the pork block from the clay pot and place it skin-side up in the center of the plate, then spoon the reduced sauce over the top before serving.