Red-Cooking Lacquer

In Chinese cuisine, “red-cooking” means simmering in soy sauce until whatever is being cooked, usually chicken or pork, turns a deep mahogany red. The same way that brine adds moisture and flavor, seasoned soy sauce has the potential to relax proteins and invade them with whatever flavorful ingredients are infused into it. This glaze includes floral-scented Szechwan pepper and sweet anise seed.