dongporou 东坡肉

today first time i attempted dongporou 东坡肉 on 23.8.2017.

bascially trying to replicate the dongporou 东坡肉 at zai shun where WT bought 4pax lunch recently on 17.8.2017. 🙂

dongporou 东坡肉

i found & followed one web recipe here.

tying the string for 9 cuts of belly pork kind of tedious.

i layered the claypot first with cabbage (my own improvisation), then spring onions, then sliced ginger. i had some leftover pig skin (from char siu 叉烧) i inserted to help hold up the pork belly pieces.

then i added 2tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1tbsp brown sugar, 4tbsp shaoxing wine, and 1/2 cup water. added the belly pork, skin down.

then cooked low fire for 1.5hrs. added water as required, and turned over belly pork at 1hr.

then took out belly pork & placed in a small holder & steamed for 1.5hrs, so in total 3hrs.

so dongporou 东坡肉 was quite good standard. the gelatinous parts were excellent. flavour was pretty ok…

i think can have more wine taste, so i am going to increase to 6tbsp shaoxing wine. the pigskin & cabbage were excellent – collateral goodness, haha! ^^

one friend FM rated it second after the egg bittergourd with salted egg. some lean parts still not tender enough after 3hrs lor…

not quite sure why need to cut the pork (& having to tie pork to hold it together) in the first place? to let the sauce & the steam reach the individual pieces?

++++++++++++++++

i think i will instead experiment using low temperature braising to render the whole 400g pork belly tender, then open steaming to add moisture & further tenderise the pork, then cut into small pieces (currently the steam could not reach the lean parts of the pork in the small holder)…so i intend to experiment/improvise..

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients –

• 400g belly pork
• 3 large cabbage leaves
• 2 stalks of spring onions cut about 8cm length
• 3cm thinly sliced ginger
• 2tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1tbsp brown sugar
• 6tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. clean & wash belly pork with salt. scald with boiling water to remove scum (or boil in water for 2mins)
2. cut into 9 pieces & tie the string for 9 cuts of belly pork to hold pork in shape.
3. add 2tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1tbsp brown sugar, 6tbsp shaoxing wine, and 1/2 cup water. add the belly pork, skin down.
4. cook low fire for 1.5hrs. add water as required, turn over belly pork at 1hr.
5. take out belly pork & place in a small holder & steam for 1.5hrs, so in total 3hrs.