Our last entry to Food Fight #4 is a doozy! Meg from I heart bacon has entered a pork dish called Su Dong Po Pork. Featuring a terrific marinade and a double cooked technique, I'm really curious to try it. She served it with brown rice and sauteed long beans with chili peppers and pine nuts. Wow.
Her original post, along with pictures, is here. The recipe can also be found on her terrific recipe site here. I'd love to try it with a pork shoulder, or maybe use the pork belly and tea-smoke it for a while as well.
All of these entries have been terrific. You can find them all in the FF4- Original category.
Megan's Su Dong Po Pork
The original recipe calls for pork belly, but it can be a little rich. Pork shoulder makes a good substitute.
3 pound pork shoulder roast (OR fresh pork belly with rind on)
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons dry sherry
6 tablespoons soy sauce
7 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 green onions, sliced into one inch lengths
4 thick slices of ginger, peeled
2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with a little cold water
1. Rub pork all over with salt and refrigerate for two hours. Wipe pork clean of any liquid. (If using pork belly, it must first be boiled to remove 'scum'; place pork belly in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for three minutes, skimming constantly. Drain and rinse well.)
2. Place pork, fat or rind side up, in an ovenproof casserole dish. Mix together sherry, soy, water and sugar and pour over pork. Add green onions and ginger.
3. Slowly bring mixture to a boil then cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer very gently for two hours. At this stage, you can cool the pork and refrigerate overnight (very helpful if using fatty pork belly).
4. Skim off all fat and then place pork, skin/fat side down, in a heatproof bowl that will fit inside a steamer. Cover bowl tightly with foil and then place in steamer over simmering water. Steam for two to three hours, checking water occasionally so it doesn't boil dry.
5. The pork will be very soft, so gently turn it over and serve skin side up. Strain sauce into a saucepan (de-fat if necessary) and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with water and add to the sauce, stirring briskly. Pour sauce over the pork and serve with lots of rice.
