Tea-Smoked Golden Pork Trotter

Name: Tea-Smoked Golden Pork Trotter
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 3 h 15 min
Total time: 4 h
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 500 g Pork tenderloin (minced and marinated with Seasoning A for several days); 1 Pork trotter (washed, bones removed, skin and meat reserved); Cotton string (tied with toothpicks, used to bind the pork trotter), several; 1 Toothpicks; 1 Clean cloth (for wrapping the pork trotter during steaming); 1 Aluminum foil (to line the pot bottom and prevent smoke materials from sticking); 1 Grill rack (to hold the pork trotter); MSG (Seasoning A, for marinating), a pinch; Curing salt (Seasoning A, for marinating), a pinch; Salt (Seasoning A, for marinating), a pinch; 250 g Sugar (Seasoning B, for smoking); 1 tbsp Tea leaves (Seasoning B, for smoking; black, green, or herbal tea optional); Ginger (for ginger-vinegar sauce, finely minced), to taste; White vinegar (for ginger-vinegar sauce), to taste; Ginger-vinegar sauce (dipping sauce for the pork trotter; minced ginger mixed with sugar and white vinegar), to taste

Pork trotters smoked with sugar and tea leaves, yielding a golden hue and a fragrant tea aroma.

4 hours

Easy

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Ingredients

Pork tenderloin (minced and marinated with Seasoning A for several days) 500 g

Pork trotter (washed, bones removed, skin and meat reserved) 1

Cotton string (tied with toothpicks, used to bind the pork trotter) several

Toothpicks 1

Clean cloth (for wrapping the pork trotter during steaming) 1

Aluminum foil (to line the pot bottom and prevent smoke materials from sticking) 1

Grill rack (to hold the pork trotter) 1

MSG (Seasoning A, for marinating) a pinch

Curing salt (Seasoning A, for marinating) a pinch

Salt (Seasoning A, for marinating) a pinch

Sugar (Seasoning B, for smoking) 250 g

Tea leaves (Seasoning B, for smoking; black, green, or herbal tea optional) 1 tbsp

Ginger (for ginger-vinegar sauce, finely minced) to taste

White vinegar (for ginger-vinegar sauce) to taste

Ginger-vinegar sauce (dipping sauce for the pork trotter; minced ginger mixed with sugar and white vinegar) to taste

Instructions

Marination and Preparation

Mince the pork tenderloin, coat with Seasoning A, and marinate for several days before setting aside. Wash the pork trotter and use a knife to remove the bones (Fig. 1), keeping the skin and meat for later use. Bind the cotton string with toothpicks and set aside.

Stuffing and Steaming

Pack the marinated minced pork tenderloin into the hollowed-out pork trotter, tie it tightly with the cotton string (Fig. 2), then wrap the trotter in the cloth, place it in a steamer, and steam until cooked through. Remove, take off the cloth, and let it cool.

Braising

Simmer the braising spices on low heat to release their flavors. Place the pork trotter into the braising liquid and braise until well seasoned, then lift out and drain.

Smoking

Take a heavy pot, line the bottom with aluminum foil, and add Seasoning B on top. Set the pork trotter on the grill rack inside the pot, cover with the lid, and smoke over low heat until the pork trotter turns golden (Fig. 3). Remove, let cool, take off the cotton string, then slice and plate.