Guangxi Steamed Pork (Kou Rou 扣肉)
This is not an ordinary piece of pork, it is one of Guangxi's specialties: steamed pork, called Kou Rou (扣肉). The pork in the picture is the second cooking, in fact, the first cooking is a big production. The fried pork can be stored for a long time in the freezer. When we are preparing for the reunion dinner, we take it out of the refrigerator, thaw it, cut it into thin pieces, and then stir-fry it with garlic leaves and basic seasonings. It's very simple.
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven (for deep frying)
- 1 large saucepan (for simmering)
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly skin on
- 3 scallions (white part)
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 2 star anise
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- water (enough to cover the pork when simmering)
- peanut oil, soybean oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or lard (enough to cover the pork when deep-frying)
- dark soy sauce
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
- The first step is to buy a perfect piece of pork, pork belly is the best. Be sure the skin is attached, and to check the skin for any remaining bristles (hair).
- Cut the pork belly into pieces, what kind of lumps? If it were me, it would be the area of my two palms. If you have a big palm, then cut into the shape you like, but not too small.1 pound pork belly, salt (to taste)
- Let us bring a pot of water deep enough to cover the meat to a boil. Then, add cooking wine, green onions, ginger, and star anise.3 scallions (white part), 3 slices fresh ginger, 2 star anise, water, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- Simmer the meat until it is cooked. To judge whether a large piece of meat is cooked, you can use chopsticks to pierce its skin. If you can insert it easily, then you have got a large piece of cooked meat.
- After it is cooked, remove it and let it stand for 3-5 minutes, then smear the soy sauce on the skin. Then use absorbent paper to absorb excess water from the whole meat.dark soy sauce
- Next, we need to use a deep wok for frying. Add oil to the pan. Use sufficient oil to cover the meat. The temperature of the oil is very important. We can try to put the end of a chopstick into the oil pan. If you see some small bubbles around the chopsticks, this is the right temperature.peanut oil, soybean oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or lard
- Then, we gently put the meat into the hot oil. Note that the hot oil is likely to splash out at this step, so we need to cover the pot immediately. In addition, we need to turn the meat in the process. Turn it over properly and let it deep-fried evenly.
- When the meat turns golden brown, remove it from the oil and put it in a clean container. So we got a golden pork! Oh, just kidding, it's: Guangxi-style steamed pork!
Notes
- You can freeze the deep-fried pork to store until needed.
- Add more star anise if you like a bit more flavor. Star anise has a licorice-like taste, but it is very subtle when simmered in the water.
- Use only enough water and oil to just cover the meat.
- Deep-frying does not take long. You do not want a hard crust on the meat, just a nice red-brown finish.
Serving
- The Kou Rou can be sliced and eaten, or sliced and lightly browned for use in other recipes. It can also be steamed. Kou Rou is delicious when steamed and served over white rice with a little dark soy sauce for flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 1205kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 22gFat: 120gSaturated Fat: 44gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 56gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 483mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 145IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!