Remember what the old man in the TV drama "Wang Gui and Anna" said: braised pork is only flavorful when cooked with rock sugar. So, I specially went to the supermarket last weekend to buy a bag of rock sugar and a piece of pork belly to make authentic braised pork for my husband and daughter. How can you make braised pork that isn't greasy?
Braised Pork
1. First, cut the pork into cubes, about a finger's thickness thick. Prepare seasonings like ginger, star anise, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns.
2. Add a little oil to the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the pork and stir-fry it over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes. This will render the fat from the meat, so it won't be greasy to eat. Then, remove the pork from the pot.
3. Add a little more oil to the pot. Once it's hot, return the pork and the seasonings to stir-fry together. When a slightly scorched fragrance appears, add the rock sugar and keep stirring.
4. Once the rock sugar has melted, stir-fry for a few more minutes. Add soy sauce to give it color, then add water and start braising.
5. Braise for at least an hour; the longer you braise it, the more tender it becomes. The braised pork I made was so delicious that even my daughter, who usually won't touch any fatty meat, praised it for not being greasy.
Commentary by Wang Xufeng, a National Level 2 Nutritionist: Braised pork usually uses pork belly, so its fat content is relatively high. This reader first "stir-fries" the meat before braising. This process converts the solid fat in the meat into liquid, and once the oil is rendered out, the fat content of the meat is reduced. Naturally, the texture won't be greasy, and the calorie count will be lower too. If you want to make the braised pork even less greasy, you can also add a few hawthorns or a piece of fermented tofu. Using rock sugar for braising is a common practice in Southern China, resulting in a very rich and mellow flavor.