Dried Bamboo Shoot Braised Pork (笋干红烧肉)

笋干红烧肉

Dried Bamboo Shoot Braised Pork (笋干红烧肉) — Home-styleZhejiang (浙江) home cooking.

Ingredients

• pork belly, cut into 3 cm cubes
• dried bamboo shoots (sǔn gàn), rehydrated and cut
• ginger, sliced
• scallions, cut into 3 cm lengths
• light soy sauce
• dark soy sauce
• Shaoxing wine
• rock sugar
• star anise
• neutral oil

Instructions

1. Rehydrate dried bamboo shoots in warm water for 4-6 hours (or overnight). Drain, rinse, and cut into 3 cm pieces. Trim any tough ends. (Shoots are plump, flexible, and dark golden-brown)
2. Blanch pork belly cubes in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse. (Gray scum on surface; water cloudy)
3. Heat oil in a heavy pot. Sear pork on all sides until lightly golden (3-4 minutes). (Pork edges golden brown; fat rendering)
4. Add ginger, scallion, star anise. Stir 30 seconds. Add soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, and rock sugar. (Sauce bubbles around pork; sugar dissolving)
5. Add rehydrated bamboo shoots and enough hot water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 50 minutes. Uncover and simmer 15 minutes to reduce sauce. (Gentle simmer; sauce is rich brown; bamboo is tender but chewy)