Page 80 - Homes amp Gardens UK February 2021

LIFESTYLE

RED COOKED PORK
WITH CHESTNUTS

SERVES 8
2 tbsp groundnut oil
1 whole, bone-in pork shoulder, about
3kg in weight, trimmed of skin and most
surface fat
90ml light soy
2 whole star anise
5cm piece ginger, peeled and sliced
4 whole, peeled garlic cloves
5 spring onions
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp light brown soft sugar
250ml Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
500ml light chicken stock or water
240g tin cooked chestnuts

■ Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas 3.

Heat the oil in a very large casserole,
saucepan or deep-sided frying pan.
Add the pork and brown on both sides.
Add all the remaining ingredients

except the chestnuts to the pan.
■ Pour in enough extra water to almost
cover the pork. Bring to the boil, then

cover with a lid and transfer to the
oven for 3.5-4 hours, or until the pork
is incredibly tender. Check the pork
every hour; if the liquid has evaporated

too much (the pork should be no less
than half-covered), top up with water.
■ About 30 minutes before the pork is

cooked, add the chestnuts. At this point,
the pork can be cooled and chilled
for up to 3 days. Scrape the solidified

fat from the surface of the stock
before reheating. Otherwise, spoon
excess fat from the liquid in the pan.

■ Break the pork into pieces and serve
with lots of the cooking liquid spooned
over steamed sticky rice or Jasmine
rice, and stir-fried greens, such as

pak choi, broccoli or winter greens. →

H O M E S A N D G A R D E N S . C O M 79