Come colder weather, I love braising meats and letting things simmer all day in a giant pot in the oven or on the stove. The entire house smells delicious for hours and the end result is ridiculously good you will want to invite a couple friends to come over and crack open a bottle of wine. Chinese braised meats are among the easiest thing to cook and have an impressive end result. They do not require browning prior to braising and they also don’t require wine or broth. The trick is to use a cut of meat that has bones and skin so it transforms the broth into a luscious broth as it simmers in it.

 

Making your own five spice powder is so worth it and what renders this dish so delicious. I know not everyone will go to the lengths to do this, so I decided to make some as holiday gifts this year. Cooking at home will definitely be more important to lots of people this coming year and is a first step to scrimping on funds but not on flavor.

 

 

 

 

 

Five Spice Braised Pork:

 

4-5 lbs pork belly or pork shoulder or a combination of, bone-in is good and skin too.

I prefer to cut the pork into 3-4″ chunks so there are more dark browned surface areas. Some like to leave it whole.

(the skin-on might make you squeamish but you don’t have to eat the skin, but it will add to the lusciousness of the sauce)

3-4 tbs homemade five spice powder 

2 onions, diced

2 inches of fresh ginger, cut into large 1/8″ slices

5-8 cloves of garlic

oil of choice for browning onions

1/4 c dark soy sauce (this is sweet and molasses like, totally different from regular soy sauce)

1/4 c lightly packed brown sugar

water

 

salt and pepper to taste

 

cilantro or Italian parsley for finishing

sliced green onions

  

  

 

Directions: 

 

Heat up the oil. Sautée the diced onions just until translucent. Add the five spice powder and most of the fresh ginger, reserving some for the sauce reduction phase. Place the pork in the pot and cover with enough water so that it is fully immersed. Add the garlic, dark soy, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. 

 

 

Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for at least 3-4 hours. I keep it covered with the lid slightly ajar. Skim any foam as it accumulates. You can also move it to a 350˚ oven, cooking covered for the same amount of time.

 

It’s done when the meat is fall apart tender. It’s really hard to overcook this but undercooking is a shame, so make sure your meat is super tender. The unique flavor and the extra fat and bones from whatever cut of meat you use will render the broth rich and flavorful, with not a lot of effort.

 

One thing I learned from using the braised beef shortrib recipe from the Sunday Supper cookbook, is that after braising meat for a few hours, it is an added restaurant touch to take the meat out of the liquid and place it on a cookie sheet and crisp it up at 450˚ for about 10 minutes to create a nice outer crust.  Try this method with pot roast or any other slow cooked meat. It will elevate your comfort food to a new level.

 

While the pork is in the oven, you can strain the liquid, degrease it, and reduce it, with the extra ginger slices, so that it is thick and rich. Some people like to use an emulsion blender and make a thicker sauce. I prefer to remove the ginger slices before serving. Blending it up sometimes makes it too ginger-y. It’s up to you.

 

 

Another thing I like to do is braise meat about a day ahead, allowing time to let the fat rise to the top of the reserved liquid and it’s really easy to remove.  Braised meat ahead of time also allows the flavors to meld and really sink in. I do these projects on Sunday and end up with about 2-3 meals for during the week. This pork recipe goes well with wide egg noodles, rice, mashed potatoes, greens, etc. Try going ’super Asian’ with it and serving it with rice and bok choy or mix it up with something more Western, like mashed potatoes or potato gratin. It’s a win, win. 

 

This dish is ‘largely unattended’. Love those two words. Once it is cooled, it can be shredded and used on sandwiches or in hors d’oeuvres. Roll it up in flat bread with some shredded cucumber and soy sprouts. Sky’s the limit when you start with such a flavorful main component.

 

shredded five spice pork on daikon slices with carrots in ponzu and green onion 

 

This dish is ‘largely unattended’. Love those two words. It can be used so many different ways; as a main, shredded and used on sandwiches, or in hors d’oeuvres. Roll it up in flat bread with some shredded cucumber and soy sprouts. Sky’s the limit when you start with such a flavorful main component.

 

  

 

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wallFlour tips:

 

Make more than one meal’s worth of slow braised meats. I love freezing the leftovers or using them to create yet another dish a few days later in the week.

Basically, if you are going to go go the trouble of cooking something for four hours, make more and make it worth your while.  The “two food dudes” would agree. It’s in their book.

 

Braised meat a day or two ahead of when you actually intend to serve it. It allows you to skim the fat off easier and the flavors will have more time to meld and sink in. And you can prep for a dinner party with other important things, like picking out an outfit.

 

Store your spice mixture in airtight containers. A little goes along way.

 

Cooking fresh fennel is something I do often, whether roasted or sauteed.  It’s such a shame to toss out the top part of the bulb so I keep them and throw them into stocks or meat braises when available. It’s a nice added flavor layer.