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Posts Tagged ‘pork’

Pork Belly with Wild Huckleberry Sauce

September 8th, 2009
 by 
Melissa. 2 Comments


This weekend I had the epitome of a “staycation.” No plans except to sleep in, cook good food and watch the second season of Mad Men with Mark. On Sunday night we decided to open up a great bottle of syrah and slow cook a pork belly with a homemade huckleberry sauce. We had gone to the Sunday farmers market earlier in the morning and purchased a pint of foraged huckleberries from Christina Choi at Foraged and Found Edibles. The berries were plump and glistening, looking like violet caviar, simply perfect for a thick piece of pork belly.


We roasted some golden beets and Ozette potatoes we had purchased from another vendor to add to our pork belly. After searing the pork belly on all sides, I removed it from the heat and set it aside. Next I added 1/4 cup of finely chopped shallots and sauteed them over medium-high heat with a good pinch of salt and pepper. I deglazed with some balsamic vinegar and syrah wine. Next I added 1 cup of wild huckleberries, 1/2 sprig of fresh rosemary, two fresh sage leaves, a fresh oregano sprig, two garlic cloves that were smashed only slightly and a sprinkling of brown sugar.

I brought the pan to a simmer and let the sauce work it’s magic for a couple minutes. Next I added the seared pork belly back to the sauce, covered it and let it cook at 300 F for almost two hours, turning the meat half way through cooking. Once the meat was more than fork-tender, I removed the pan from the oven and onto a plate. I covered the pork in the sauce and sprinkled on another handful of the uncooked huckleberries for color and a nice tang to balance flavors.


The result was rich, juicy and over the top indulgent; absolutely perfect for a weekend all to ourselves.

For the whole recipe for Pork Belly with Wild Huckleberry Sauce go here:
Pork Belly With Wild Huckleberry Sauce on Foodista

Can’t get enough of pork belly, check out these other recipes:

Cucina Rebecca

Cook it Simply

Wrightfood

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Categories: American • Cooking tips • Entertaining • Meat & Poultry • Sauces • condiments • wine 2 Comments
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Hunger Awareness Week Day 2

April 22nd, 2009
 by 
Sheri Wetherell. 8 Comments

Well, technically it’s Day 3, but unfortunately I’ve been pulling near all-nighters at work, so writing has been challenging to say the least! But we did eat last night, I just fell asleep before I could write! Apologies.

We went to our favorite Latino market in White Center called Carniceria El Paisano for provisions. We purchased a half pound of puerco en adobo (pork in a spicy marinade) for $1.98, a can of black refried beans for $.99, a big bag of corn tortillas for $1.69, and a bottle of hot sauce for $.89.

Then we headed over to a Vietnamese market for veggies. They had a 6-foot table with loaded with baggies of fruits and vegetables in their last days – all for $1.00! A big bag of limes, one filled with tomatoes (perfect for a huge batch of sauce), nectarines, etc. You’d never see that at a Safeway! Granted, the food would need to be cooked, frozen or eaten within probably a day, but still quite the savings.

We purchased four Key limes for $.18, an onion for $.39, a half pound of nopalitos (cactus) for roughly $.75, a beautiful head of lettuce for $.79, and a big bunch of gorgeous cilantro for $.39. Grand total for dinner: $8.05. Since we had the Turkey Dal leftovers for lunch, and yogurt and bananas for breakfast, we actually saved a bit of our food dollars today.

Here’s how we prepared our Mexican meal: Barnaby grilled the nopalitos and puerco en adobo, and since they are both so thin they cooked up in a flash. I had the easy job of heating up the refried beans and chopping up the onions. We made street-style tacos filled with the pork, onions, cilantro, fresh lime juice and a squeeze of hot sauce. Tasty!

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Categories: Hunger • Latin • Meat & Poultry • Mexican • Sauces • Veggies 8 Comments
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Feijoada

April 7th, 2009
 by 
Sheri Wetherell. 2 Comments

I’m a bean kinda girl. Refried, stewed, pork and beans, I love ‘em all. I had feijoada the other night, and I will shamefully admit it was only the second time I’ve eaten this bean-filled dish. I don’t know why I’ve left feijoada out of my bean repertoire for all this time, but no longer!

Feijoada is considered the national dish of Brazil, but it’s also enjoyed in Portugal. It’s a delicious and hearty stew of black beans, beef and various salted pork pieces, such as sausages, bacon and trimmings. It’s typically served in a clay pot along with rice, collard greens, cassava and sliced oranges, to name a few.

The feijoada I had was filled with flavorful chunks of beef and pork and two types of delicious pork sausage. It was served with rice and perfectly sauteed collard greens.

If you’re up for a taste of Brazil, whip up some feijoada and wash it down with a sweet caipirinha!

Feijoada on Foodista

Caipirinha on Foodista

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Categories: Meat & Poultry • South American 2 Comments
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Spinach and Pork Wontons

March 29th, 2009
 by 
Sheri Wetherell. 1 Comment

I don’t know any better way to say it than “my mom rocks.” Really, she does. She has an amazing sense of style, is smart, beautiful, and at 5 feet and one half inch I can almost fit her in my pocket. But, like me, she rounds up and says she’s 5′1″ (I tower over her at 5 and three  quarters, I mean, 5′4″). The little lady can also whip up some serious magic in the kitchen. Her chicken mole is so good you’d think you were in Oaxaca. She can create Asian meals so delicious you’d swear the chef was native. And I mean any kind of Asian food: Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, you name it. She just has a knack.

When I was in the 8th grade she spent what I remember as three solid days preparing what must have been considered an Imperial feast. I don’t remember who she invited or what the celebration was, all I know is she went to China for three weeks with her sister and came back part Chinese. Actually, I think she was probably Chinese in a previous life and was connected with her long lost Chinese spirit while touring the Great Wall. At least that’s what I tell her. Good thing, too, because she channels that spirit and cooks up some darn tasty morsels!

I was talking to her the other night and she told me about these spinach and pork wontons she’d made for dinner. My cell phone almost shorted out from all my drooling. So I made her send me a picture so I could share it with you. “Oh, and I added the recipe to Foodista, too!” she exclaimed proudly.

God I love that woman.

Here’s the recipe:

Spinach and Pork Wontons on Foodista

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Categories: Asian • Beverages • Fruit • Meat & Poultry • Veggies 1 Comment
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Cochon 555

March 9th, 2009
 by 
Sheri Wetherell. 2 Comments

Last night we happily dined on wine and swine at Cochon 555, a culinary event that features 5 chefs, 5 winemakers, and 5 heritage pigs. Presented by the Taste Network, the six-city event is a friendly competition of local chefs created to benefit The Endangered Hog Foundation and raise awareness for the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance and the Good Farmers Fund.  The Endangered Hog Foundation is helping to preserve nine critically endangered hog breeds in the US. through breeding protocols, genetic research, placing pigs on family farms and developing a market for heritage pork.

To put it bluntly: we porked out! All 5 chefs did such a fabulous job it was difficult to decide who knocked it out the park. I’ll give you highlights of some of what I thought were the evening’s “wow” dishes, but first let me introduce the breeds of pigs featured:

Berkshire-Duroc from Whistling Train Farm. The Berkshire breed, originally from the English county of Berkshire, is said to be “Britain’s oldest pig breed.” The Berkshire-Duroc cross-breed is rich and creamy with a slight nutty flavor.

Duroc from Good Farm. The breed originated from two strains of hogs from New Jersey and New York in 1830. The Duroc is a purebred with fatty flecks in its muscles making it tender, juicy and mild.

Red Wattle from Holthaus Farm. Because its meat is colorful and tender the Red Wattle is often referred to as a cross between beef and pork. (Two pigs in the competition were Red Wattles).

Berkshire from Newman Farms. The Berkshire has brightly colored meat that is heavily marbled. Like the cross-breed above, it is rich and creamy with nutty hints.

When we arrived we were greeted with glasses of sparkling wine from Elk Cove Vineyards then, I spied a big bowl of chicharrones from 4505 Chicharrones. It’s no wonder my liver is screaming at me today as I’m quite certain I ate a whole pig’s worth (regardless, I’m tempted to order these in bulk). Ever so light and crisp and dusted with a bit of spice these nibbles were absolutely divine. We also noshed on potato chips with creme fraiche and caviar (shown above). Out of this world! Both were the perfect treat to start the event.

The crowd was in full force in the main tasting hall, so I didn’t get details on every dish, but I’ll do my best to describe what the chefs prepared. Our first taste was bologna sandwiches from The Corson Building’s Matt Dillon. Beautifully crafted pistachio studded mortadella folded into soft white bread. We also tried a lovely pork soup with kale and a country-style pâté with marmalade.

We moved on to the station of John Sundstrom from Lark where we had an amazingly juicy and oh so yummy smoked pork served with a delicious demi glace and hush puppies. Had i not been saving myself for the other features I would have hung out for seconds…even thirds.

Tamara Murphy from Brasa had tasty (and darling!) pig-shaped cookies made super-duper flaky from pig lard – move over Crisco! We also sampled a lovely trio of pâté. Mmmm..

Anthony Hubbard of CHOW Foods – this is where we really, well, chowed down. Not only did Anthony have a huge “swine shrine” but he prepared about 5 beyond delectable dishes. His passion and hard work clearly paid off as he was the winner of the evening. First, we had a Chilled Pork Belly Consommé With Brain Mousse. Now, I know what you’re thinking, and I was hesitant at first (having never tried brain), but it was out of this world. Not only was it the most unique and clever (I was going to say “brainy”) thing served that night, but it was perfection in a tiny cup. The brain was a cloud of light and creamy mousse, something I never would have guessed was brain. I feel so much smarter now!

Another CHOW favorite of mine was a Milk Braised Pork Loin With Gorgonzola Mousse. I absolutely love anything braised in milk as it comes out utterly moist and tender. I think I heard angels singing when I ate this dish.

What surprised me the most was that I fell in love with the Bourbon and Bacon Ice Cream served in a bacon cone and sprinkled with bacon bits. Seriously, folks, bacon is the reason I have never suceeded at being a vegetarian. This little dessert was one of those foods where the devil on your shoulder clearly drowns out the angel: “Do it, eat it! Eat more!” Madness, pure delicious madness.

Last on our pig-out tour was a visit to Jason Wilson from Crush. Unfortunately for us he was so popular he ran out of what we heard was roasted pork (?). But what we did have was pork sausage rolled in a bacon tapioca powder. Holy cow, I mean, pig! Simply fantastic!

The Washington wines that we tasted throughout the evening were K Vintners (one of my favorite Walla Walla wineries), McCrea Cellars, Fidelitas, Cadence Winery, and Buty. All were pouring liquid dreams.

It was a lovely evening of porking out and I would definitely attend again. Although I have to say, I’m  going vegetarian for a solid two weeks after that culinary debauchery.

There are more Cochon 555s coming your way: next stop is Boston, but check their schedule for a city nearest you. Fun times and for a great cause!

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Categories: Events • Meat & Poultry • Restaurants 2 Comments
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New Year’s Day Southern Style

January 7th, 2009
 by 
Chris. 2 Comments

We’re happy to welcome Chris Barber, LA-based artist and food lover, as one of our new guest bloggers.

New Year’s Day means one thing at my place – good luck black-eyed peas. (I skipped ‘em last year and paid the consequences.) It’s the one day of the year besides Thanksgiving that I fully indulge my cravings for a traditional family meal. In this case I had to forget the country ham since I didn’t give myself 36 hours to soak sufficient salt out of the meat. I just grabbed a ½ ham glazed with brown sugar and focused on the side dishes. Three hours in the oven warmed the precooked ham fully while leaving it moist. If you add some fried okra, stuffing, 7-day pickles, rhubarb pie and iced tea in tall cold metal glasses to the dishes described here you might have Granny Barber’s typical Sunday lunch. But humble as this one is, every dish is a plate-licker.

The black-eyed peas were soaked overnight – I avoid quick soaking for this. I fried four thick strips of bacon in the bottom of a cast iron Dutch oven and added ¾ of a chopped onion to the grease. Then I added the peas, slow cooking and adding salt and pepper to taste. The bacon breaks up with stirring, and should be gladly taken with the peas as it comes. You can add chopped celery too, or anything else you like for an accent. A little paprika was enough for me, along with my favorite bottled hot sauce on the table. Good black-eyed peas have layers of smoky taste that take their sweet time opening up in your mouth.

For the greens I crammed all of the mustards and collards I could fit into a 5 quart pan after browning a couple tablespoons of butter. Once they wilted I added all of the softer Texas mustard greens that would fit. With the Texas greens wilted I threw in a 12 ounce brick of salt pork and a generous splash of rice wine vinegar, and let it simmer covered until tender. Trouble not about the darkening color – you’re in the south now. Try to steam this and you’ll get what you deserve. I wanted these to have a bright taste, but warming the pan with a coating of bacon grease instead of butter is a nice earthy alternative, or simply starting with the salt pork until it greases the pan.

Candied “yams” don’t actually involve yams at all but sweet potatoes – the kind with the coppery skin and deep orange meat. I boiled 4 large sweets until soft, sliced them into ½- inch thick pieces and lined the bottom of a buttered casserole dish with them. Scallops are traditional, but I cut them lengthwise to make them slightly more firm due to the direction of the grain. I sprinkled them with salt and paprika, then dolloped them with a syrup of dark brown sugar, ground ginger, lemon juice and a dash of lemon zest. A smidge of butter on each slice and they were ready for a 20 minute bake. They should come out with form and color intact and looking almost unseasoned.

My personal favorite is the cracklin’ cornbread. For this I went whole hog and made cracklin’ – which is what it’s all about.

Cracklin’ Cornbread

4-6 oz. fresh, uncured fatty pork scraps
¾ cup white cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cane sugar (optional)
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 475. Freeze the pork scraps for 30 or 40 minutes and then dice into ¼” pieces. It should be mostly fat, with a pitiful showing of meat. Mix the powder ingredients well in a large bowl. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until frothy and whisk in the buttermilk. Blend the liquid into the dry mix and set aside. Drop the diced pork scraps into a greased 10” cast iron skillet and render the fat completely on the stove over medium heat until the pearls are golden-brown and crispy. Fold the cracklin’ and all but about 1 tbsp of the rendering into the cornbread mix. Increase the heat under the grease remaining in the skillet until it smokes, then quickly pour the mix into it. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes. I like it soft, moist and cakey in the center and crispy on top; but an almost pudding center is perfectly acceptable for a more pone-like quality. Either way, it’s juicy enough to forget all about the iced tea. Pop that thing right out of your skillet with a flick of the wrist and see if it doesn’t disappear on its way to the plate.

Cracklin' Cornbread on Foodista

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Categories: Cooking tips • Meat & Poultry • Seasoning & Spices • Veggies 2 Comments
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Home Smoked Mangalitsa Bacon

January 6th, 2009
 by 
Sheri Wetherell. 11 Comments

I’m ashamed to say that my gifts to Barnaby this year were a bit self-serving: a fancy waffle iron and an outdoor electric smoker. So far he’s like a kid in a candy store. Smoking trout, salmon, oysters, turkey breast, beef brisket, but the best so far – and by far – is the Mangalitsa bacon.

We’d written before about this Hungarian heirloom pig (also called Wooly Pig due to its curly hair), but it’s so delicious it warrants another article. Once the preferred pig in Hungary (known there as Mangalica) for its fatty and flavorful meat the breed died down to only a couple of hundred due to farmers who were raising leaner and larger litter-producing pigs. Who wants a skinny pig? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Fortunately, in the early 90’s they started to make a comeback and their numbers are now well in the tens of thousands.

We all know fat equals flavor, sad for the thighs and arteries, but true. That’s what makes Mangalitsa so special. Because fat is a vehicle for flavor it takes on smoke and seasonings like none other, making for some of the best, most flavorful sausages, cured hams, lardo, and as we found out first hand…home smoked bacon.

Last summer we sought out Heath Putnam, owner of Wooly Pig, the only company in the Western Hemisphere with Mangalitsa breeding stock. From him we purchased various cuts to try, including a heavily marbled belly from a Mangalitsa cross-breed, thinking we’d use it to flavor dishes such as a hearty split pea soup. Then the smoker entered our lives and our bacon eating ways reached a whole new level. Creamy and intensely flavored this is beyond any bacon you’ve ever tasted.

More on Mangalitsa:

Mangalitsa on Foodista

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Categories: Meat & Poultry 11 Comments
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Smoked Pork Chops in Cuba

December 8th, 2008
 by 
Sheri Wetherell. 2 Comments

Photo: WordRidden

In 2002 Barnaby and I flew to Mexico City, then hopped another plane bound for the beautiful land of Cuba. (Knock, knock, knock. Excuse me, I think that must be the Department of Treasury at my door). Barnaby was there legally as part of the Havana Film Festival. I, on the other hand, was the renegade American. I smiled a big I’m-so-happy-to-be-here grin at the Customs agent who looked at my passport and handed it back to me unstamped. “Welcome to Cuba,” he said, sporting an even bigger grin.

I felt naughty being there. And I liked it.

Havana is like a beautiful aging actress whose lipstick bleeds and foundation is cakey. You see signs of her former glory, her sexiness, her mystique, but the luster has left long ago. All she needs is a face lift and a good shot of Botox.

On our first night venturing out for food we were approached by a jinetero, which literally translates to “jockey” but more loosely to hustler, who escorted us to a paladar. Paladares are small, unadvertised family owned and operated restaurants. In exchange for high taxes the government allows families to operate these restaurants, but they must seat no more than 12 people at a time and serve only local food: pork, seafood (if you’re lucky) black beans and rice (Moors and Christians) and simple salads. The nice thing about paladares is you get good quality home-cooked food while experiencing Cuban culture.

Being unadvertised we didn’t mind the aid of the jinetero. In fact, each night we welcomed the help of jineteros. Being fluent in Spanish it was easy for Barnaby to ask about the paladar to which we were being taken. One such place specialized in smoked pork chops. We’d had a lot of pork so we welcomed the new cooking method and told the jinetero we’d love to go. His friend ran ahead to tell owners we were coming. Apparently not many Americans visited this mostly locals only place so I’m sure the finder’s fee was good.

Down one quaint run-down street after another we went until we found ourselves in front of a once grand old home. We rang the bell and the door opened. Up the narrow staircase we climbed to another gated door. We were greeted cheerfully by a flamboyant transvestite who owned the “not so legal” paladar with his lover. We invited our two new jinetero friends to join us for lunch and the four of us embarked on the meal of a lifetime. For us, sitting in an unknown, impossible to find gem of a restaurant in a forbidden country; for them, eating a meal they couldn’t afford.

The lovers gave us a tour of their sparkling kitchen that was part cooking lesson, part La Cage aux Folles. I loved it. They brought out heaps of flavorful beans and rice, salad, ice cold beers, and the pièce de résistance: their smoked pork chops. To this day I have yet to have a more succulent, tender and juicy piece of smoked pork. Delicious ones indeed I have found at Latino markets in the U.S., but none that quite compare. They were that good.

They were embargo-ending good.

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Categories: Latin • Meat & Poultry • Restaurants • Spanish • Travel 2 Comments
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One Dish Pork Chops With Scalloped Potatoes

November 1st, 2008
 by 
Betsy Dorfman. Leave a Comment

Here in Southern California we often suffer with the cold more indoors than out due to lack of insulation and heating methods that, well, don’t. So a one-dish meal that starts on the stove top and then migrates to the oven pays both heating and eating dividends. This particular dish combines two favorites, pork and scalloped potatoes, with the pork fat standing in for butter and milk plus white wine for cream. Definitely from the what’s-not to-like comfort food playbook.

The usual American style rather lean pork works best as the drippings from the meat will mix with the potatoes underneath and there is no real strategy for degreasing once the ingredients are combined. Thick or thin chops work fine, just plan on cooking longer in the final oven stage if the chops are thick. Another bonus is that the dish can be made ahead up to that point, and cooking time is forgiving as the chops are basically braising rather than roasting. So you shouldn’t end up with the pork radial tire that we all remember so well from camp and college dining halls.

I happened to have some dried tomato so I tossed in a few of those, diced, to add some flavor and color to the dish. You could as easily use fresh or dried mushrooms and leeks could replace the onions. I have made a version of this with port replacing white wine and the mushrooms would go handily with that. Similarly with the seasoning rub, I used a NOMA brand seasoning blend theoretically made for lamb but at our house we like rosemary on pretty much anything.  You could easily substitute thyme or sage and the amount is to your taste rather than critical.

The amounts of the ingredients listed below are pretty arbitrary. Basically you want enough sliced onion and potatoes to fill your dish, leaving room for the chops to sit on top. And you want enough liquid just to peek through the vegetables and keep everything moist.

Ingredients:
Pork chops, one per person, trimmed of fat
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large potato, peeled and sliced very thin.
4-5 dried tomato or sun dried tomatoes
1/2 c milk, fat free
1/4 c dry white wine
1-2 TB  seasoning mix of rosemary, cumin, garlic and black pepper, combined to make a rub OR any favorite seasoning
1 T grape seed or other oil for browning meat

Equipment:
You will need a shallow casserole pan which can go from stove top to oven

Technique:
Preheat oven to 375
Mix spices to make a rub and apply to all sides and edges of chops
Heat oil in casserole until  hot, brown chops quickly on each side to a nice brown color
Remove pan from heat, remove chops temporarily to a plate
Pour off any accumulated fat in the pan and discard, being careful to retain any tasty dripping and browned bits
Pour the wine and the milk into the pan and stir to incorporate the juices and drippings
Mix onions, potatoes and tomato bits together, add to the pan and distribute in an even layer. The level of the liquid should be roughly to the top of the vegetables. If not, add more.
Place the browned chops on top of the vegetables, cover with a fitted top or with aluminum foil
Place in middle of oven, lower heat to 350 degrees
Bake for 20-30 minutes approximately, checking the level of the liquid a few times. Timing will vary based on the thickness of the chops.
When the chops are cooked through and the potatoes are tender, remove the top from the pan and bake for another 5 minutes or so to reduce and thicken the liquid.

Serve 1 chop per person with a side of the potatoes and enjoy!

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Categories: Cooking tips • Meat & Poultry • Seasoning & Spices • Veggies • wine Leave a Comment
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Char Siu BBQ Pork

August 14th, 2008
 by 
Barnaby Dorfman. 5 Comments

Since just about everything I do somehow makes me think about food, it should come as no surprise that watching the Beijing Summer Olympics got me thinking about Chinese food. As I contemplated cooking something new, I hit on what used to be an old standard for me: Chinese BBQ Pork. During college it was a favorite lunch item, I used to get a good amount of it sliced on a big pile of rice with some steamed Chinese greens for about $3 at the student union. As much as I loved the salty-sweet pork, doused liberally with hot Sriracha sauce, I’d never actually prepared it myself. After doing some research, I found that there are a bunch of different variations, even on the name, including:

  • Char Siu
  • Cha Siu
  • Chashao
  • Chinese BBQ Pork
  • Cantonese Barbecued Pork

Regardless of the name, many of the ingredients are the same. Below is a good basic recipe, but first, I thought I’d share some tips/tricks I discovered in my research and experimentation.

  • This method is often traditionally called “red cooking,” due to the red tinge pork can get when roasted, which is naturally enhanced by soy sauce. Unfortunately, many recipes include red food coloring, one actually called for 1/2 a cup! I can only imagine what that would do to your insides. I say skip the food coloring, it’s nasty and adds no flavor!
  • If you parboil the meat first and then dry, it helps develop a shiny glaze. In researching Chinese cooking in general, I’ve found this is a trick to getting crispy skin on roast meats, like suckling pig and Peking Duck. Many recipes suggested marinating the meat first, I like this technique better.
  • Try kicking up the quantity of five spice powder and the other spices. I did this to my taste and really enjoyed the results.
  • You can make the sauce in advance, even in quantities, and keep it in the fridge to put on other dishes.
  • Use a meat thermometer to roast the pork. I took mine out at 145 degrees, this resulted in a much more tender and moist version than I’ve had in the past.

Here’s a good basic recipe to start with:

2 lbs pork loin

Sauce:

1/4 C sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C hoisin sauce
1/2 C xao hsing rice wine
2 tsp five spice powder
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp fresh ginger minced (I cut mine into ‘coins’ and put through my garlic press)
2 garlic cloves put through press or minced

1 Thai chili, chopped
3 Tbsp chopped green onion

Preparation

  1. Whisk together above sauce ingredients in a pan and simmer for 5-10 minutes, being careful not to boil as this can give it a burnt taste.
  2. Taste and adjust the spices, salt, and sweetness to your liking.
  3. Strain liquid and set aside.
  4. Heat enough water water in a pot to cover pork and bring to a boil. To kick up the flavoring, add a few extra tablespoons of soy sauce and Xao Hsing wine, plus the peels from the ginger and garlic to the water.
  5. Add pork and parboil for 5 minutes. This will remove any surface blood and juices that cloud the sauce.
  6. Remove pork and pat dry with a paper towel.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  8. Place pork on a roasting rack and baste liberally with sauce.
  9. Roast in oven, basting frequently until interior temperature registers 145 degrees, approximately 45 minutes.
  10. Remove and allow roast to rest 5-10 minutes.
  11. Slice thinly, drizzle with more sauce, and serve over rice with stir fried bok choy or similar greens. Can also be served cold.

If you have leftovers, consider an adventure in making Char Siu Bao aka Hum Bao.

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Categories: Asian • Cooking tips • Meat & Poultry 5 Comments
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