Skip to main content

Dongpo Pork




Dongpo Pork is a porky dish accidentally created by one of China's famed poets,
Su Dong-Po  in the Song dynasty.  It was believed that the poet stewed the pork and when one of his friends came by for a visit, they engaged in a game of chess.  They were so engrossed in the game that the dish was left unattended until a fragrant smell wafted from his kitchen.  Thus, this forgotten over-cooked stewed dish was created ~ 'Dongpo Pork'.











The meat is so soft that you can just use break it up with a pair of chopsticks or snip it up with a pair of kitchen scissors.


Looks fatty?  I don't go for the skin and fat, just the lean meat but my family members do.  They remarked that the skin and fat were soft, smooth and tasty!  You can serve this with white rice or thicken the gravy a bit and serve with mantou.  Tastes good too.

Recipe for Dongpo Pork

Ingredients
  • 650 gm pork belly with skin intact
  • 3 to 4 spring onions
  • 3 thin slices of young ginger
  • 2.1/2  Tbsp light soya sauce
  • 2  tsp dark soya sauce
  • 1/4  tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 50 gm rock sugar
  • 1/8  tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3  cup Shaoxing wine
Preparation
  1. Prepare a steamer, make sure there's enough water and let it simmer.
  2. Boil some water in a wok, blanch the pork belly for about 10 mins.  Take out and rinse under running water.
  3. Cut up the pork belly into 2 pieces.
  4. In a pot, add in the sauces, water, salt, rock sugar and black pepper, bring to a boil, test for taste, set aside.
  5. Place the spring onions, ginger slices in a casserole, put in the  pork, skin side down on top.
  6. Pour the sauce mixture onto the pork and bathe the meat with the sauce.  Pour in the wine.  Cover the casserole and put this on the steamer tray, cover and let it steam/double boil under medium low heat, for 3.1/2  hours, till the meat is tender and the skin glossy. ( After every hour, bathe the meat with the sauce and flip over the pork belly).  
  7. Fine tune to taste.
  8. Blanch some vegetables, arrange on the plate with the pork belly.
  9. Serve and enjoy.
Note :  Do ensure that there's enough water in the steamer pot, now and then.


I'm submitting this to   Muhibbah Malaysian Monday!    Do check it out  Here!

Comments

  1. I'm always lousy cooking pork. Really envy your dish and I wish that I can cook this dish as good as you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow...looks delicious ! I must try this one day :) Love the fat :p

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have yet to try this, probably i will use the pressure cooker to cook, 3hours++ is pretty long huh, hehehe..

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cheah, I remember I had this DongPo Pork in HangZhou China at a restaurant just next to the beautiful West Lake. The pork was really fatty compare to yours, I also go for the meat only ;DD
    I thought this is stewed not until I saw your post..do you think I can use slow cooker ;D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ooooh, seriously hungry now! We love this dish, always get it when we go to Esquire Kitchen :) Soooo good with mantou.

    Thanks for another great MM entry!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Zoe
    It's easy, just put in the steamer but remember to add water in the steamer pot, that's all.

    Elin
    Gosh, you like the fat? Very filling and not healthy, momsie!

    Sonia
    I think you can use the pressure cooker, can try.

    Anncoo
    I suppose u can try with the slow cooker or pressure cooker. Or you can braise it first, then steam for 30 mins.

    Shaz
    Yes, totally agree with you, the gravy goes extremely well with mantou.

    yummylittlecooks
    Thanks for dropping by. Yes the lean meat is delicious to me!

    ReplyDelete
  7. PapaCheong
    Perhaps you can do it during the weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  8. i didnt know dongpo is a name of a poet, i thought it's just a name of some places in china or guangdong. I have the courage to eat the fats layer but i dont know whether i have the courage to cook this or not..

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mmmm...that's such a beautiful piece of fatty pork. Looks like it will melt in the mouth. I like that...once in a while :P

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have tried cooking this before using another recipe and they were delicious but too much fat for my liking! Yours have got so much lean meat, I like!

    ReplyDelete
  11. my mother taught me how to make this but somehow it wasn't melt in the mouth texture :(

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lena
    He's a very famous poet from Hangzhou. I'm sure you can, just let it steam and only remember to add water in the pot.

    MaryMoh
    I was told the fat melted in the mouth but I only zoomed in for the lean meat! Seems the skin is the best part!

    Jeannie
    You can try again with a not so fatty piece of pork belly. Then go for the lean meat.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It looks very well done! Perhaps the steaming time can be shortened using the pressure cooker.

    ReplyDelete
  14. babe_kl
    Thanks for visiting my blog. The fat is soft, melt in the mouth.

    Biren
    Thanks! I suppose you can use a pressure cooker to make this.

    ReplyDelete
  15. One of my favs! I'd attack the fats first.

    ReplyDelete
  16. pigpigscorner
    Hmmm .... didn't know you like the fatty parts! If you don't mind the fat, then you should give this dish a shot!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for dropping by. Please click on 'Anonymous' if you do not have a blog but do leave your name after the comment because I would like to know who you are.

Popular posts from this blog

Seasalt Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ 海盐巧克力曲奇饼

  These dreamy and heavenly chocolate chip cookies will make your kitchen smell like a bakery.  There is a divine contrast between sweet and salty for the slight pinch of seasalt flakes intensifies and brings out the chocolate flavour.  Freshly baked, these cookies are slightly soft in the centre and crispy at the edges, but if you do have leftovers, these will be crunchy, stored in a cookie jar, for a few days. Seasalt Chocolate Chip Cookies    ~    海盐巧克力曲奇饼        Ingredients 170 gm plain flour 1 tsp baking soda 113 gm butter (unsalted) 80 gm brown sugar 40 gm caster sugar 1 'L' egg 1 tsp vanilla 200 gm chocolate chips 1/8 tsp salt Extra chocolate chips or mini chocolate buttons to put on top of cookie before baking Maldon seasalt flakes to sprinkle on cookie immediately after baking Method Sift the flour with baking soda and salt, set aside. In a stand mixer, beat the butter with the sugars, till soft and smooth. On low, add in the egg. Fold in 1/2 sifted flour, mix well fol

Herbal Jelly ~ Gui Ling Gao

H erbal Jelly ~ Gui Ling Ga o literally translated means 'Tortoise Jelly' is one of my family's favourite desserts.  It's much more economical to prepare this at home for you'll need to fork out between Rm 9 to Rm 11 for a bowl of this cooling dessert in any of those herbal tea outlets.  This soothing jelly, served chilled, is supposed to be able to help reduce our body heat, helps to get rid of toxins and is believed to be good for the skin thus culminating a healthier complexion.

Durian Butter Cake ~ 榴莲牛油蛋糕

  It's the durian season again and I'm sharing with you a simple yet fragrant Durian Butter Cake.  This recipe does not use the traditional butter totally, in fact there is oil too.  Liquid oil tends to make the cake softer and stays moist longer as it does not solidify at room temperature.  This cake is soft and moist with a tinge of durian flavour and aroma.  A breakfast or Tea time snack for durian lovers. Durian Butter Cake ~  榴莲牛油蛋糕 Ingredients 150 gm unsalted butter 190 gm plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 30 ml vegetable oil 85 gm caster sugar 3 'L' eggs 130 gm pureed durian flesh 4 Tbsp milk a pinch of salt 1/4 teaspoon vanilla Method Sift flour with baking powder and salt.  Set aside. Beat butter with sugar till well blended, add in oil and continue beating till pale and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time, mix well. Add in pureed durian flesh, mix till well incorporated. Sift in again the sifted flour in 2 batches, alternating with the milk.  Fold in till well inc