Five Spice Chinese Pork Stew
By: Gio Ray Mangaya-ay
Published: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 - 7:42am

Ingredients




1 & 1/2 kilo pork paikut, sliced into cubes – you can use pork belly or spareribs as long as there is more meat than fat
for boiling the pork
water enough to cover the pork by 1/2 inch more
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1/2 tbsp cracked pepper
1 tbsp iodized salt
3-5 bay leaves
2-4 celery stalks
For the stew
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 head of garlic, minced
2 medium-sized shallots/sibuyas na pula, sliced
1 large white onion, sliced
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup light soy sauce
3 cups pork stock (the water used for boiling the pork)
1 ginger, two inches in length, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 tbsp anise seed
1 /2 tbsp cracked pepper
1 198gram can whole mushrooms, sliced in half (it’s chunkier that way)

Preparation

1 In a large pot, add the pork with the rest of the ingredients for boiling. Add water, enough the cover by pork by 1/2 inch. 2 Boil on medium heat until the pork is fork tender. Once done, remove the pork from the pot. 3 Reserve the stock and run it through a fine sieve to strain the impurities. 4 In a wok or large pan, heat the oil and add the garlic. Allow to toast but be careful not to burn it. 5 Add the shallots and the white onion and saute until it sweats and goes slightly limp. Add the ginger and fry until very fragrant. Remove around 1/4 of the onion and ginger and reserve for garnish. 6 Add the pork and mix everything well until the pork is lightly toasted, around 2-3 minutes. Add the pork stock, followed the the soy sauce. 7 Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover the pot and allow the stew to reduce for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another minute. Remove from pan and serve hot, garnished with the sauteed onions and ginger, and with a heaping scoop of rice. Enjoy!

About

A hearty stew - soft tender morsels of pork with a soy sauce broth. a gentle hint of five spice just breathes new life into the stew - it warms the bones and invigorates the soul.