Fist of Kitchen presents… Eat it: China!

pork

• 2 tbsp. peanut oil
• 4 c. stock (chicken, beef, pork, or some land animal)
• 4 – 5 lb. pork shoulder or butt (left whole)
• ½ c. soy sauce
• 3 tbsp. sherry
• ⅓ c. finely ground fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. corn starch mixed in ¼ c. cold water
• 3 c. onions, halved and thinly sliced

glaze

• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds

This is a big improvement on the original book recipe entitled “Braised Pork with or without Bean Curd,” and we’ve obviously opted for “without.” I’m going to do it in the way I do pulled pork in the Winter, and it’s based on how a good German cook would do Schweinehaxen, or rather, crispy leg of pig. Braised, and then thrown into a hot oven in the end, your pork will have a crispy cracklin’ exterior and a basted, juicy interior, which when added to the stock reduction takes the pork flavor to 11. The umami of the oyster sauce is like a hot kiss in the ear.

In a dutch oven heat the oil until nearly smoking. Brown the roast on all sides, finishing with the fat side up. Get it very brown for stock richness. Add stock, garlic, and onions and bring to a simmer. Simmer covered for 3 hours or until you can almost shred it with a fork. Remove pork, bring the heat to medium, and reduce the stock by four times. Preheat oven to 450°. Place the pork in a roasting pan; mix 2 tbsp. each of soy sauce, honey, and sesame seeds; baste this mixture on the pork. Roast at 450° for an hour, or when the fat is crispy and you can pull the pork.

Once the stock is reduced, add ½ c. soy sauce, sherry, and ginger. Cook another five minutes. At this stage you may pull the pork with two forks and add it to the sauce—or it could be served in portions, with the sauce ladeled over it.

We served this with Mooshu pancakes, topped with finely match-sticked scallions. I think this makes a really great party food. Eat them like tacos for Sunday Night Football. At the same time, because of the long grain of the shredded pork, this would pair well with any kind of noodle. Again, it doesn’t have to be pulled. For us that night turned to tragedy when The Packers were forced out of the 2012 playoffs by luckiest-boy-alive, Eli Manning. Hopefully for you, your Oscar picks will win you the office pool.

To make Mu Shu Pancakes, add 1 cup of boiling water to 2 cups of flour and knead until soft. Make a ball, cut it in 10 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball, flatten with your hand, and roll with a rolling pin to make 8-inch discs. Baste each with some sesame oil and toast in a skillet, both sides, until bubbly and a little browned. This is essentially a tortilla made in reverse order. For tortillas, the oil (lard) is kneaded into the dry flour first, and then water is added. The result isn’t so dissimilar, so a wink to lazy cooks: you could brush a little sesame oil on flour tortillas—but you didn’t hear it from me.