Recipe for "red-pork"

NAME

     RED-PORK - A Chinese method of cooking a pork roast
     I got this recipe originally from the San Francisco  Chroni-
     cle.   It uses some ingredients that might be hard to get in
     some parts of the country, but suggests alternatives.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 10-15)

     2 to 3 kg pork shoulder, with bone and rind
               water
     180 ml    dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
     80 ml     dark soy sauce
     6 crystals
               Chinese yellow rock sugar (each crystal about  2.5
               cm square).  Or use 60 g granulated sugar.
     7.5 ml    salt (or to taste)
     6         star anise cloves
     1         cinnamon stick (5 cm long)
     4         small dried chili peppers (optional)
     3         pieces dried tangerine peel (optional)
     6         garlic cloves (crushed)
     4         thick slices ginger
     1         whole scallion trimmed
     2         bunches spinach washed

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Put the pork in a large pot with water  to  cover.
               Bring  to a boil, simmer for 2 minutes, then drain
               and rinse.
          (2)  Again add the pork to the pot with fresh water  to
               cover,  add  the  wine, and bring to a boil.  Turn
               the heat to medium, partially cover, and cook  for
               30 minutes.
          (3)  Add the rest of the ingredients (except  the  spi-
               nach),  and  simmer the pork for another 21/2 to 3
               hours.  The rind and the fat should be  very  soft
               when it's done.
          (4)  Remove the pork from the liquid and keep it  warm.
               Strain  the  sauce into a large skillet and reduce
               it over high heat.  This may take a while, depend-
               ing on how much liquid you end up with.
          (5)  Meanwhile, steam the spinach  until  just  wilted,
               salt it lightly, and keep it warm.  When the sauce
               is reduced (it should be the consistency of a thin
               syrup),  put  the pork shoulder in the center of a
               large platter, arrange the spinach around it,  and
               pour the sauce over.

RATING

     Difficulty: moderate.  Time:  30  minutes  preparation,  3-4
     hours cooking.  Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Jeff Lichtman
     Relational Technology, Inc., Alameda, California
     {amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff
     {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff
     "Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent.."