Quick and Delicious Home-style Braised Pork with Dried Bamboo Shoots
A fragrant and delicious bowl of braised pork with dried bamboo shoots, without star anise, cinnamon, or other overpowering spices... Enjoy the original flavors of pork and bamboo shoots, letting the main ingredients shine without being overshadowed by heavy seasoning. Only basic seasonings like rock sugar and soy sauce are used, ensuring each bite of bamboo shoots is infused with the aroma of pork and every bite of pork carries the freshness of bamboo shoots. After eating this bowl of braised pork with bamboo shoots, your perspective on food will be enriched. Remember to cook an extra bowl of rice...
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare the seasonings and dried bamboo shoots: Soak the dried bamboo shoots in water a day in advance (24 hours). During the day, change the water 3 times, discarding the yellowish water and replacing it with fresh water. Before going to bed, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to prevent spoilage in warm weather.
Choose high-quality pork belly with a good balance of fat and lean meat, preferably with ribs for better texture. Blanch the pork belly: Submerge the raw pork belly in a pot of water, add 4 slices of ginger and 2 tablespoons of ginger and scallion cooking wine. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Remove the pork belly, rinse off any scum, and set aside. Blanch the bamboo shoots: After soaking, drain the bamboo shoots. Boil a pot of water, add the soaked bamboo shoots, and cook for 2 minutes before draining. (This step removes oxalic acid, similar to spinach, for better health. Skip if preferred.)
Heat a cast-iron pan until slightly smoking. Add oil and rock sugar, then stir-fry over medium-low heat to caramelize the sugar.
Stir-fry until the sugar melts and turns a light caramel color. Be careful not to overcook, or it will turn into a candy-like texture.
Add the pork belly and stir-fry until coated with the caramelized sugar. Cook until the pork releases oil and turns slightly golden.
Add the bamboo shoots and stir-fry evenly.
Add 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce and stir-fry well.
Add 1 tablespoon of Golden Orchid soy sauce paste (or light soy sauce) and stir-fry well.
Add boiling water until it almost covers the pork belly. Bring to a boil over high heat.
After boiling, add a pinch of fine salt (about 1g) to enhance the flavor without overpowering the dish.
Transfer the seasoned pork belly and bamboo shoots to a pressure cooker, placing the bamboo shoots at the bottom and the pork belly on top.
Pressure cook for 8 minutes. Avoid overcooking, as the meat may fall apart. (The kitchen will be filled with the aroma of pork...)
After pressure cooking, wait for the steam to release before opening the lid. Be careful to avoid burns. Transfer the cooked pork and bamboo shoots back to the cast-iron pan and reduce the sauce over medium heat. This dish doesn't need MSG or chicken bouillon—it's naturally flavorful!
Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and serve. Garnish with chopped green onions!