Homemade Braised Pork with Dried Bamboo Shoots
With two meat-loving boys at home, braised pork is a must. My favorite side dish is dried bamboo shoots from my hometown. Every year, my mother-in-law goes to the mountains in our hometown to dig up bamboo shoots, dries them, and saves them for us. She carefully selects tender and fresh spring shoots, drying them herself without any preservatives. When my mother-in-law visited Canada, she prepared 20 pounds of dried bamboo shoots for me. I couldn't bear to eat them all, so I shared some with friends, and everyone praised them. The bamboo shoots braised with pork absorb the meat's aroma and sauce. The leftover bamboo shoots can be diced and used as filling for dumplings or buns, which are always a hit.
Ingredients
Steps
These are dried bamboo shoots. It's important to keep them very dry to prevent mold. If you live in a humid area, it's best to store them in the freezer.
Soak an appropriate amount of dried bamboo shoots for two days, changing the water and rinsing them in between. You can soak a larger batch at once.
Pressure cook for 20 minutes. Any leftovers can be stored in a freezer bag and frozen. Thaw them directly when you want to use them next time, so you don't have to soak them every time.
Cut the soaked bamboo shoots into thin strips.
Heat oil in a wok, add a few rock sugar pieces to melt, then add blanched pork belly and cooking wine to stir-fry until fragrant. Add scallions, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Continue stir-frying until the mixture bubbles.
Transfer to a cast-iron pot, add the shredded bamboo shoots, and pour in water to cover the meat.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1.5 hours.
The next day, you can chop a few pieces of the braised pork, mix with chopped cilantro and diced long peppers to make filling for roujiamo (Chinese pork burgers), which is also very convenient.
Don't throw away the braised pork sauce—it's great for seasoning dumpling or bun fillings.
After pressure cooking, the bamboo shoots become tender enough to bite easily when braised.
The braised pork can also be used for roujiamo.
The bamboo shoots soaked in braising sauce can be diced and used as filling for dumplings.