As one of the representatives of traditional Chinese cuisine, braised pork has a unique charm of bright red color and mellow taste, which makes people taste unforgettable. However, when making braised pork, many people often encounter problems such as greasy taste and untender meat. Today, we're going to explore how to make a dish of braised pork that is both delicious and not greasy.
First of all, the selection of materials is the key. It is best to use pork belly for braised pork, because the pork belly is fat and thin, and the meat is tender and juicy after cooking, fat but not greasy. When buying pork belly, we need to choose fresh pork with a certain amount of fat, so that the pork belly will be more delicious when stewed.
Next, we want to pre-treat the pork belly. Cut the pork belly into medium-sized pieces and soak them in clean water for half an hour to remove the blood and fishy smell. Then, put the pork belly into a pot, add cold water, skim off the foam after boiling over high heat, turn to low heat and cook for about 10 minutes, remove and drain the water for later use. The purpose of this step is to remove impurities and fishy smell from the pork belly and make the braised pork more pure and tasty.
Next is the cooking process of the braised pork. First of all, we need to prepare some basic seasonings, such as ginger, green onions, cooking wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar, etc. Slice the ginger and cut the green onion into pieces for later use. Pour an appropriate amount of oil into the pot, add rock sugar after the oil is hot, slowly fry over low heat, fry until the rock sugar is reddish-brown and bubbles, immediately pour in the pork belly pieces, stir-fry quickly, and make the pork belly evenly coated with sugar.
Next, add the sliced ginger and green onions, stir-fry evenly, and pour in cooking wine to remove the smell. Then, add an appropriate amount of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce to adjust the color and taste. Light soy sauce is mainly used to enhance freshness, while dark soy sauce is used for coloring. Depending on personal taste, some salt and other seasonings can be added in moderation.
Next comes the crucial step – simmering. Pour the sautéed pork belly into a saucepan and add enough hot water to cover the meat surface. After the heat is boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer slowly. The simmering time varies depending on the pot and heat, but generally takes 1-2 hours. During the simmering process, we should pay attention to the amount of water in the pot, and if the water is too small, add hot water in time to avoid simmering dry.
During the stewing process, the fat in the pork belly slowly oozes out and mixes with the broth to form a rich gravy. To remove excess grease, we can use a spoon to gently skim off the oil slick from the pan. The braised pork cooked in this way is delicious and not greasy.
When the pork belly is simmered until the meat is soft and the soup is thick, it is time to turn off the heat and remove from the pot. Place the braised pork on a plate, garnish with chopped green onions and serve. At this time, the braised pork is bright in color, mellow in taste, fat but not greasy, and melts in the mouth, which makes people have an endless aftertaste.
In addition to the basic cooking steps, there are a few tips to make the braised pork even more delicious. For example, you can add some dried hawthorn slices or lemon slices during the stewing process, which can neutralize the greasy feeling of the pork; In the later stage of the stew, you can add some side dishes such as quail eggs or potatoes, which can make the braised pork more varied; Before it comes out of the pot, you can drizzle some sesame oil or sprinkle some white sesame seeds to enhance the flavor.
In short, making a dish of braised pork that is both delicious and not greasy requires mastering certain skills and steps. Through careful operation in the selection of ingredients, pretreatment, cooking and stewing, we can make a dish of braised pork with excellent color and flavor. Whether it's a family meal or a gathering of friends, making this dish will satisfy everyone at the table.