CHINESE STEWED PORK RECIPES

Steps:

• *Staranise comes in the form of an eight point star.
• ,each point having an anise seed in it.
• Most of them are broken up so use a total of eight points, more or less, to taste.
• **Theorange (or tangerine) peel has a slightly bitter taste that I like better with beef but this is personal taste.
• It comes in plastic bags and has a long shelf life.
• Start by browning the meat in a few T of oil.
• Do it in batches so it gets well caramelized.
• When the last of the meat is well browned, remove it all to a bowl.
• (Add more oil as needed).
• Add the onion, garlic, ginger, anise, orange peel and chiles to the wok (or pot); keep cooking, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to brown.
• Stir in the meat along with the sauce, bring it to a full boil, stir well and reduce heat to simmer.
• Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour (pork) or 2 hours (beef).
• Adjust seasonings, add the vegetables and simmer, covered for another half hour.
• Before serving, remove all the pieces of ginger, star anise, orange peel, chile, etc.
• Serve with steamed rice or boiled noodles.

Steps:

• bake pork pata in oven at 450 until the skin turns brown. this is what prevents the skin from breaking when it is stewing. while the pork pata is baking, soak the shitake mushrooms in hot water.
• when done, place pata in a casserole. add the 6 cups of water, soy sauce, hoysin sauce, brown sugar, pepper corns and bring to a boil.
• add the star anise (or anise extract) and sesame oil. simmer for an hour, or until pork is tender that the meat almost falls off the bone.
• mix constarch in 1/4 cup cold water, and add to the pot. continue to let it simmer until sauce thickens.
• blanch the bokchoy in boiling water seasoned with garlic salt. do not overcook the veg to retain its bright green color.
• to serve, take out the pata and place them in the middle of a serving dish surrounded by the strained blanched bokchoy. pour the sauce over the pata and vegetables.
• enjoy.
• ** optional - you can add hard-boiled eggs to the stew towards the end of the simmering process for sumptuous "humba eggs".