Preparation
20 minutes
Cooking
50 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Pork knuckle is a nutritious dish used to cook many different delicious meals. Today, let’s join TasteVN in transforming the delicious and nutritious pork knuckle with the secret to making braised pork knuckle with soy sauce from the website Into the kitchen!
Ingredients for Braised Pork Knuckle with Soy Sauce Serves 5
Pork knuckle 750 gr Star fruit 2 pieces Star anise 5 pieces Soy sauce 3 tablespoons Fish sauce 3 tablespoons Carrot 2 pieces Young papaya 1/2 piece Red onion 80 gr Minced garlic 1 tablespoon Minced chili 1/2 tablespoon Vinegar 4 tablespoons Water 5 tablespoons Common seasonings a little (sugar/ pepper/ five-spice powder)
How to choose good pork hocks
Depending on the taste and preferences of your family, you can choose to buy either front or back hocks:
- The meat from the front hocks is softer and sweeter, suitable for boiling, stewing, or making “gia cầy”… usually priced higher.
- The back hocks of pigs are less active, so they have more meat but also more fat. The meat from the back hocks is suitable for making porridge, braising, stir-frying, or minced meat…
Notes when choosing pork hocks:
- Choose a hock that is firm, with even meat fibers, the cut surface is dry, and when pressed, the meat has high elasticity.
- It is advisable to select hocks that have a bright pink color, no unusual colors, and the cut has a natural, bright, and dry appearance.
- The meat should not have a foul or fishy smell, no unusual spots on the meat, feel non-slippery to the touch, and should not be blackened.
Tools required
How to prepare Soy Sauce Braised Pork Leg
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Preprocessing and wrapping the pork leg
When you buy the pork leg, use a razor blade to scrape off the hair, then rub it with salt to eliminate the odor, after that, split it in half and wash it again with clean water.
Dry the surface of the pork leg with a clean towel, tightly roll the pork leg and secure it with small kitchen twine, wrapping horizontally in a spiral around the pork leg.
After rolling, reshape it to ensure the meat roll is round and beautiful, tie the end of the twine securely to avoid it unraveling during cooking.
Tips to eliminate the odor of pork leg:
- Method 1: Before cooking it into dishes, blanch the pork leg in boiling water for about 2 – 3 minutes, then rinse it with cold water.
- Method 2: Use a mini gas torch on medium mode or burn leftover newspaper, straw to lightly char the pork leg, effectively removing the hard hair on the pig’s skin. However, you should use a mini gas torch for its convenience and easier flame control, to avoid burning the pork leg.
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Roast and grind the herbs
Put cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise into a dry pan, roast hot over high heat. Stir evenly quickly for 2 – 3 minutes.
When the spices are slightly burnt and fragrant, put all the herbs into a mortar and grind them immediately while the spices are still hot.
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Braised pork leg
Put the prepared pork leg, tied with string, into a pot. Pour in 750ml of water to cover the meat.
Add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon of pepper, the ground herbs, 80g of peeled shallots left whole, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar into the pot.
Use chopsticks to stir well so that the spices dissolve and do not clump together, then bring to a boil over high heat, cover the pot, and braise the pork leg over medium heat for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, open the lid and continue to cook until the seasoning liquid reduces and thickens, then turn off the heat and remove the meat to cool.
Finally, place the cooled meat in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until it firms up.
The remaining braising sauce should be poured into a bowl, strained to remove any residue, and used as a dipping sauce.
Tip: To allow the meat to absorb the spices evenly and have a beautiful color, turn the meat every 10 minutes.
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Make Vegetable Salad to Serve
In a bowl, add 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 4 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and 1/2 tablespoon of minced chili, then add 5 tablespoons of filtered water and stir well until the sugar dissolves.
Peel, wash, and shred the carrot and green papaya, then place them on a deep plate.
Pour the mixed fish sauce over the salad plate, mixing well so that the carrot and green papaya absorb the seasoning.
How to preserve braised pork leg with soy sauce
- If you don’t use all the braised meat, you can store it in the refrigerator’s cool compartment, taking it out to slice thinly as needed.
- Avoid keeping braised meat in the fridge for too long, as it will harden and no longer taste as good as when it was fresh.
- Carrots and young papaya can be shredded in advance and stored in the refrigerator; you should only mix in the dipping sauce about 15 minutes before eating to allow the flavors to absorb. Do not mix them and store them in the fridge for later use, as the vegetables will become soft and watery, losing their crispness and taste.
- If stored in the refrigerator, you should only keep it for a maximum of 2 – 3 days; do not keep it longer as the dish will spoil and produce many toxins that are not good for health.
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Above is a guide to making braised pork leg with soy sauce that is flavorful, delicious, and extremely simple and easy to make, which anyone can do. Wishing you success with this braised pork leg with soy sauce recipe!
*Images and recipe referenced from the YouTube channel Esheep Kitchen
