-
Preparation
10 minutes
-
Cooking
45 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Pork knuckle is an ingredient widely used in Vietnamese cuisine with many delicious cooking methods. To make family meals more diverse and appealing, let’s learn how to make pork knuckle stuffed with wood ear mushrooms (ear mushrooms) simply and quickly in this article with TasteVN. Let’s get cooking and make this steamed dish right away!
Ingredients for Pork Knuckle Stuffed with Wood Ear Mushrooms For 4 people
Pork knuckle 1 kg Dried wood ear mushrooms 30 gr (ear mushrooms) Dried shiitake mushrooms 20 gr Shallots 2 bulbs Common spices A little (Salt/ seasoning powder/ ground pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh pig trotters
- To make the dish of boiled pig trotters with wood ear mushrooms more delicious, you should buy the hind trotters of the pig because this part is less active than the fore trotters, so the meat will be more than in the fore trotters.
- When buying pig trotters, you should choose those with pink, fresh skin and meat, good elasticity, and when touched, the surface feels moist, soft, dry, and does not emit an unpleasant smell.
- Additionally, when buying, you should choose trotters that have intact hooves and are not peeling. Because it is very likely that trotters with peeling hooves come from sick pigs.
- You should also avoid buying trotters that show signs of water retention and have yellow fluid after each cut, as these may be old or spoiled trotters.
How to choose delicious and quality wood ear mushrooms
- Wood ear mushrooms come in two types: fresh and dried, you should choose dried wood ear mushrooms for better safety and to minimize allergies!
- Dried wood ear mushrooms will have an amber color on the surface, with a milky brown underside; when buying, prioritize mushrooms with large, thick ears and fewer small mushrooms growing at the base.
- Avoid choosing wood ear mushrooms that have an unusually dark color; these mushrooms, after soaking, will easily become mushy and not crispy anymore.
How to choose delicious dried shiitake mushrooms
- You should choose firm ones that are not broken, bright in color, and have no white mold spots. Choose reputable sources to buy dried mushrooms to ensure safety.
- You should not buy dried shiitake mushrooms of unclear origin and with an unpleasant smell.
How to prepare Stewed Pork Leg with Wood Ear Mushrooms
-
Preliminary preparation and marinating pork leg
To eliminate the unpleasant smell of the pork leg after using a knife to remove the meat, you should rub salt evenly around the piece of meat, then rinse it with clean water and let it drain.
Next, cut the pork leg meat in half and make a few incisions inside the meat.
Marinate the pork leg with 1 spoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper; use your hands to rub it evenly and let it sit for about 10 minutes for the flavors to penetrate.
How to prepare pork leg without a fishy smell
- Method 1: Use white alcohol and salt to rub evenly around the pork leg about 2 times, then rinse thoroughly with water.
- Method 2: Use a torch to scorch around the pork leg before cooking, which helps enhance the flavor of the dish and removes any remaining hair.
- Method 3: Blanch the pork leg in boiling water for 2 minutes, then take it out and rinse it clean with fresh water.
-
Prepare the remaining ingredients
Soak the dried wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms in cold water for about 30 minutes, then rinse them with water, drain, and slice the wood ear mushrooms into small thin strips. For shiitake mushrooms, you can cut them in half or into thirds.
Peel the shallots and chop them finely.
Proper way to soak dried wood ear mushrooms- You should only soak dried wood ear mushrooms for a maximum of 3 – 4 hours before cooking. Avoid soaking them too long or overnight, as this can lead to the production of harmful toxins in the mushrooms.
- Soak the mushrooms in cold water, not warm water, because while mushrooms swell faster in cold water, the morpholine in the mushrooms won’t have enough time to neutralize.
See details: The fastest, safest, and simplest way to prepare wood ear mushrooms at home
-
Roll the pork leg
Insert the wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and shallots into the slits of the pork leg and roll it tightly, using string to secure it.
-
Boiled Pork Knuckle
Put a pot on the stove, turn on medium heat, add 1 liter of water and bring to a boil. When the water boils, add the wrapped pork knuckle and boil for about 35 – 40 minutes until tender, then remove and let it cool.
Tip: To check if the pork knuckle is cooked, use chopsticks to pierce the meat. If there is no pink blood, then the pork knuckle is cooked.
-
Final Product
When the pork knuckle is cool, place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then cut off the thread and slice the pork knuckle into thin pieces for serving.
The wrapped pork knuckle with mushrooms is very eye-catching when finished, with tender and fragrant meat complemented by the crunchy texture of the mushrooms, making it very delicious. You can dip it with a bowl of spicy fish sauce to enhance the flavor of the dish!
See more:
So now you also know the how to make pig trotters wrapped with wood ear mushrooms that are delicious and simple to change the taste for the whole family. TasteVN wishes you success in your cooking!
