Char siu pork and pork ramen

I've been meaning to post this for a while, I mentioned it a few posts back. I got the original recipe from the Gastronomy Domine website which is a fantastic recipe site. I did a few tweaks of my own - spot a theme here ?! - and the result was amazing.

I'm sure most of us have eaten char siu pork at some point, it's that red coloured pork that finds its way into most special fried rice dishes from Chinese restaurants. I absolutely love it and have been known to pick out the bits from the Husband's dishes too ! I've never tried to make it before and I will admit, it's a bit of a faff but so worth it. This one won't come out red as that's just food colouring, but will be a lovely burnished brown from the hoisin and soy.

CHAR SIU PORK

Large piece of skinless belly pork

5 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
5 tbsp runny honey
1 tsp five spice powder
1/2 glass chinese cooking wine
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp easy ginger
4 large cloves of garlic crushed

Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Pour over the pork and turn over a few times. Put in the fridge at least overnight - I did mine for 24hs.

Take it out of marinade and put on a roasting rack and roast in a medium hot oven for about an hour and a half, covering with foil if necessary.

Now, you can glaze it under the grill but to be honest I didn't really feel the need.

I made a ramen with this but it'd be equally as nice with rice and stir fry veg.

PORK RAMEN NOODLES

2 sticks of ramen noodles
2 pak choi
Sliced baby corn
Mange tout
1ltr chicken stock - either home made or with three stock cubes simmered for a few minutes with star anise, garlic, ginger, carrot and leek
char siu pork

Boil the noodles in water until tender. Drain, refresh under running water and set aside
Simmer the veg in the stock until just tender
Put the noodles in deep bowls and ladle over the stock and veg
Top with sliced pork and some spring onions

Messy but very yummy !

Braised chinese pork

Having just invested in a slow cooker - which my Mum calls "middle aged" cooking - I needed some good recipes. With a baby and an overactive 4 year old I figured that chucking something in the cooker in the morning and with minimum clearing up after dinner couldn't be a bad thing.

I found this recipe which is lush and even the 4 year old ate it which is nothing short of a miracle. I must remember next time to 1/2 the amount of liquid !

CHINESE BRAISED PORK
serves 2-4

1kg of pork shoulder trimmed of fat and cubed
1 red onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed
"thumb" of ginger either grated or finely chopped
3 tbsp sherry or rice wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1tsp chinese 5 spice powder
150ml water (double this if not using a slow cooker)
Seasoning

Brown the pork in batches in a little olive oil and put into the crock pot
Then briefly cook the onion, garlic and ginger and then add this to the pot
Deglaze the pan with the sherry and then add this and all the other ingredients to the slow cooker
Cook on medium for 6-8 hours

I served this with boiled rice and stir fry greens

It can also be cooked in the oven at gas 2 for 2 or 3 hours