Name: Saucy Potted Pork (醬肉)
Yield: Serves 4–5 as a main dish alongside a hearty serving of rice or buns, 6–8 as a smaller serving in a multicourse meal.
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 3–4 large cloves garlic, stem ends removed, lightly smashed and peeled; 1 thumbnail-size piece home-dried orange or tangerine peel or fresh peel, scraped clean of any white pith (optional); 3–6 teaspoons crushed golden rock sugar; ¼ cup thin (regular) soy sauce (read the cautionary note regarding brands); 2 pounds boneless pork loin in one piece; 2 quarter-size slices fresh ginger; 1 whole star anise, broken into points (to equal 8 individual points); 1 thumb-size piece Chinese cassia bark, or a 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick, broken into bits; 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or quality; dry sherry; ¼ cup hoisin sauce, the sweetish variety with a jam-like consistency; 2¼ cups boiling water; 1 medium whole scallion, cut into 1-inch lengths

Preparation info

Serves
4–5
as a main dish alongside a hearty serving of rice or buns .

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking

By Barbara Tropp

Published 1982

About

While the Cantonese roast marinated pork in strips, Chinese of the central and northern coastal provinces, that area that is often called “eastern China,” take a large piece of pork, marinate it in a savory rather than a sweet sauce, and then put it in a cozy pot to simmer and steep for hours. The result is a very versatile piece of meat. It may be sliced thickly and eaten hot, alongside rice or a steamed bun, or slivered thinly and enjoyed cold in the company of wine or other cold foods. I