Red-Cooked Pork

(Chinese pork braised in soy broth)

Yield: 3-4 servings

Basic Steps: Simmer

Bring all the ingredient to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat, and simmer slowly for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the meat is very tender.
Adjust seasoning and serve with rice.

Add about 2 cups of chopped vegetables about 3/4 of the way through the cooking process if you like. Finish simmering till cooked through. Possible vegetable additions: chopped onions or scallions, carrots, turnips, daikon, potatoes.
Meat can first be blanched in boiling water or seared till browned if you like.
Try using a whole, bone-in pork butt. Or substitute cubed beef, a whole chicken, or chicken thighs or wings. Turn whole pieces of meat periodically for even cooking and coloring.
The meat is sometimes cooled in the sauce then served cold.
Some cooks use a combination of light and dark soy sauce.
Substitute 2 tsp of 5-spice powder for the star anise if you like.

Red-cooking is a popular way to prepare meats in the Shanghai region of eastern China. Simmering in dark soy sauce gives the meat a reddish color and the dish its name. Red-cooked dishes often include a mix of meat and vegetables and are similar to a western stew.
In China, the sauce is sometimes reserved and used again and again, improving in flavor with each use. Some families and restaurants claim sauces that reach back for generations. Either freeze the sauce or refrigerate it and use at least one a week to keep it "alive". Add a little extra water or stock each time to bring it back to the same volume.