Pork knuckle is a beauty-enhancing ingredient, but its high-fat content often deters people due to its greasy texture. Although Dongpo Pork Knuckle seems readily available, finding a truly exceptional one is a rare gem. The kind that you can eat many pieces without feeling overwhelmed is a rare memory for me.
Dealing with knuckle requires tremendous patience, transforming the white and fatty pork into a melt-in-your-mouth, tender, and rich delicacy. This process demands time and effort that cannot be expressed by the heaps of tourist souvenirs called “Wansan Hoof.”
Looking at these bones easily coming off, you can imagine the sticky and chewy texture.
To reduce the greasy sensation, especially from the thick layer of fat beneath the pork knuckle skin, here are some secret tips:
- Coloring with caramel is more visually appealing than using dark soy sauce. However, since pork knuckle itself contains a lot of fat, using oil to caramelize sugar can be too greasy. I opt for a water-based method. Dissolve rock sugar in a small amount of water and simmer it to create caramel color. It achieves the same beautiful hue without adding extra oil.
- Simmer the knuckle in plenty of water until tender. This allows a significant amount of fat to enter the broth. Before the final steps, remove the floating fat and some of the broth to effectively eliminate the greasy feeling.
- Dried tangerine peel and cloves are two excellent spices to counteract the greasy sensation, bringing a touch of freshness to the dish.
Ingredients:
- Pork knuckle: 1, approximately 900g
- Rock sugar: 20 pieces
- Cinnamon stick: 1, 10cm long
- Star anise: 3
- Bay leaves: 5
- Cloves: 5
- Amomum tsao-ko: 2
- Black cardamom: 1
- Coriander seeds: half tablespoon
- Sichuan peppercorns: 1 tablespoon
- Dried tangerine peel: 1 tablespoon
- Cooking wine: 8 tablespoons
- Light soy sauce: 4 tablespoons
- Spring onions: 5
- Ginger: a large piece
[Man Shi Man Yu] Secret Recipe: Dongpo Pork Knuckle
- Cut the spring onions into sections, slice the ginger, and set aside. Place the cleaned pork knuckle in a pot, add enough water to submerge it, and bring it to a boil with half of the spring onions, half of the ginger slices, and 3 tablespoons of cooking wine.
- Wrap the small granular spices such as star anise and cloves in cheesecloth and set aside.
- Over medium-low heat, add rock sugar to the stewing pot. Add about 100ml of water, allowing the rock sugar to heat, dissolve, and turn into caramel color. This process takes 10-15 minutes.
- Once the caramel turns deep amber, immediately pour in a large amount of hot water and add the bundled spices, briefly boiling to extract the fragrance.
- Add the pork knuckle, remaining cooking wine, remaining spring onions, and ginger slices. Add enough hot water until the knuckle is almost submerged.
- Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover and simmer for over 2 hours, flipping the knuckle several times during the process.
- At this point, the pork knuckle is almost tender. Remove all the spices and other debris from the pot. Transfer half of the broth out and add light soy sauce to the remaining broth.
- Open the lid and simmer on medium-high heat. Every few minutes, scoop up the broth and pour it over the knuckle, occasionally flipping it. Pay attention to the evenness of the color. The entire process takes about 40 minutes.
- When the broth starts to thicken, remove the pork knuckle and place it in a serving dish. Continue to reduce the remaining broth in the pot until it becomes dark, thick, and foamy. Pour it over the knuckle.
Tips:
- Patience is required when making caramel. Use medium-low heat, observe closely, and be careful not to burn it. Do not stir the syrup during the process; instead, shake the pot to evenly distribute the heat.
- If you have old braising sauce at home, you can add a few spoons during the simmering of the knuckle.
- Don’t discard the broth removed during the process; it can be used to braise other items or as a base for red-cooked dishes.
- When reducing the broth, be gentle when flipping the knuckle to avoid destroying its overall shape.
