Braised Asian Pork Recipes

BRAISED ASIAN PORK

Steps:

• If dry brining pork ahead of time, combine the salt and brown sugar and coat the outside of the pork shoulder. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
• When ready to cook, remove pork from plastic wrap and brush off any excess salt & sugar.
• Heat 2-3 tbsp of neutral oil in a large Dutch oven and sear each side of the pork shoulder until brown, about 3-5 minutes each side.
• Remove from heat and add onion, soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger and garlic to pot. Pour coconut water over the pork shoulder.
• Cover the pot and place in a 350 degree oven, and cook for 2.5 hours.
• Remove lid and add in butternut squash. Cover and place back in the oven, cooking for another 30-40 minutes, until butternut squash is fork tender and pork is easy to pull apart. Internal temperature should be about 190 degrees.
• Strain butternut squash from the pot and set aside on a serving dish. Remove pork and allow to cool till enough so you can handle it. Shred the pork and toss with the butternut squash. Drizzle some of the braising liquid on top for added flavor.
• Serve over Jasmine rice, rice noodles or lettuce, and garnish with cilantro, limes and chili flakes.

BRAISED PORK BELLY (红烧肉/HONG SHAO ROU/RED COOKED PORK)

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the ginger, scallion, and blanch the pork belly pieces over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• After five minutes, clean the pork under running water and keep them dry with cloth or kitchen towel. Reserve some blanching water and pass it through a wire mesh strainer.
• Heat the sugar and oil in a nonstick pan. When the sugar turns to amber color, add the dried pork pieces into it.
• Pan-fry the pork for two minutes until all the sides are sear and colored.
• Add the pork, soy sauce, ginger, scallion, wine, star anise, and blanching liquid enough to submerge all the pork pieces to a pot.
• Braise the pork over low heat with the lid on for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is soft and tender. Turn the heat to medium and boil it uncovered until the braising liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.
• Dish out and garnish with thinly sliced scallion. Serve.

EMERIL'S NEW ORLEANS' ASIAN-STYLE BRAISED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Place each portion of pork belly in a 1-gallon re-sealable plastic bag. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, light brown sugar, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, ginger, green onions and sambal and use a whisk to blend well. Divide the mixture between the 2 plastic bags and seal them. Place in a baking dish or roasting pan and refrigerate overnight, or for 8 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Place the pork belly, skin sides down in a 9 by 13 inch glass oven proof baking dish, or a small roasting pan and pour the marinade and 3 cups of the chicken stock over and around the pork belly. Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour. Turn the pork belly over and roast for another 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and place on a counter top, or cooling rack to cool. Use a fork and long, sharp, thin-bladed knife to remove the skin from the pork. Allow the pork to cool in the cooking liquid and, once cooled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
• Remove the pork from the refrigerator and uncover. Carefully remove any congealed fat that rests on top of the cooking liquid. Using a sharp knife, score the fat layer of the pork in a cross hatch pattern.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add the remaining cup of chicken stock to the pan and place in the oven. Cook the pork belly until slightly caramelized on top and warmed through, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and divide into 6 even portions. Place the frisee in a large bowl and toss with the rice wine vinegar. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• To serve, place a portion of the pork on a warmed entree plate with 2 ounces of the frisee. Pour some of the sauce over the pork and serve immediately.

ASIAN BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Coat a large wide ovenproof pan or Dutch oven with olive oil and bring the pan to high heat. Sprinkle the pork with salt and brown it on all sides. Remove from the pan and reserve.
• Ditch the fat from the pan and add a few drops of fresh oil. Toss in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and rice vinegar and reduce by half. Add the 3 cups chicken stock, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sambal, star anise, orange zest and juice. Stir to combine, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Taste to make sure it is delicious and adjust the seasoning if needed.
• Return the pork to the pan, cover and put in the oven. Braise the pork for 2 hours, turning it over once. If the liquid reduces too much during the cooking process, add the remaining 1 cup chicken stock. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
• When the pork is VERY tender, remove the pan from the oven. Remove the pork, place the pan over medium heat, bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces to a sticky sauce consistency.
• Serve the pork draped with the sauce.

ASIAN STYLE BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275°.
• For the sauce--In a bowl, mix the garlic, soy sauce, wine, ginger, 5 spice powder, cayenne, apricot preserves, marmalade, hoisin and broth--set aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet or dutch oven with a lid, that is also oven-safe.
• Saute the pork until browned, then remove to a plate.
• Add the last tbsp of oil to the pan, and saute the shallots for about 2 minutes.
• Add the meat back to the pan, then stir in the sauce mixture.
• Bring to a simmer, cover, and place the pan in the oven.
• Bake for 1- 1 1/2 hours, until meat is tender and falls apart easily.
• Serve over white rice, if desired.

HONEY-SOY BRAISED PORK WITH LIME AND GINGER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the pork in a large Dutch oven that has a lid. Scatter the garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes and lime zest over the top. In a measuring cup, whisk together the tamari, honey and sesame oil, then pour it over the pork. Using tongs, turn to coat all sides of the pork in the sauce, and spoon some over the top so that some of the garlic and ginger is on top of the pork. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours.
• Uncover the pot and flip both chunks of pork. Cover the pot and braise until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 1 more hour. Transfer to the stovetop.
• Using tongs, transfer the pork to a serving platter or a large shallow serving bowl. Using a ladle, skim and discard the excess fat off the surface of the cooking liquid remaining in the Dutch oven, if desired. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and let it simmer until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 8 minutes.
• While the sauce simmers, coarsely shred the pork using two forks. Sprinkle the lime juice over the top of the meat. Drizzle about half the sauce over the top of the shredded meat, then toss to combine. Serve over rice or noodles or in lettuce cups. Top with sesame seeds, scallions and cilantro. Pass the remaining sauce at the table, if desired, as well as extra lime wedges and red-pepper flakes.

ASIAN-INSPIRED BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Combine ginger, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, salt, and wasabi powder in a small bowl.
• Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat.
• Rub spice mixture all over pork and transfer to the hot pot. Brown for 8 to 10 minutes per side.
• Add water, soy sauce, star anise, and green onion. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 hours, occasionally basting with cooking liquid. Turn roast over, cover, and continue to cook and baste until fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
• Remove from the pot and place on a serving dish. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.