Braised Pork Leg 卤猪脚
Ingredients:
One pork leg about 1.4kg, cut to big chunk – wash, remove hair and cook in boiling water for 10 mins.
- Seasoning:
1/2 tsp Five spice powder
1/2 tsp Pepper
5 tbsp Light soy sauce
5 tbsp Dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp Cooking wine
After boiling the pork leg for 10 mins, wash and drain. Mix with the seasoning for least 4 hours or overnight.
- 20 Garlic – remove skin and wash
1/2 tbsp Shallot – chopped
2 Star anise, 2 Cloves, 1 Cinnamon stick
3 Slices ginger
4 Dried chillies (remove seed and wash)
2 tbsp Sugar
800-1200ml Water - 2 tsp Chicken powder (with no MSG added)
1 tsp Salt - Method:
- Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in wok and add 2 tbsp sugar, cook till sugar dissolved.
- Add chopped shallot, fry till golden brown follow by garlic, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and dried chillies, fry till aromatic.
- Add in marinated pork legs, fry well and pour in 800ml water and bring to boil.
- Add 2 tsp – chicken powder (with no MSG added) and 1 tsp salt.
- Switch to low fire and simmer till pork leg soften. (about 1 hour)
- kitchen note: add more water if water dries up and another 1/2 tsp salt if more water added.
Hi Ann. Thanks for giving detail instructions on how to handle the melted sugar.
My first attempt following your recipe went well. 🙂
Braised pork using soya sauce is tricky because different brand has their unique flavour, colouring and saltishness. I used 5tbsp Superior Keong Cheong Thye light soya sauce and found it a touch too saltish. Though I used only 2tbsp Tiger, it was too black for my liking. I modified your recipe by adding 1tbsp Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce. Then I cheated by using the slow cooker : 1hr high and 4hrs low, so that I do not need to watch the fire and water. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I’ll definitely try again.
correction. “Tiger” = Tiger brand super grade dark soya sauce
Thanks for the feedback Yvette 😀
Hi Ann. Would it taste good if I add some mushrooms and dried chestnuts ?
Hi Belinda, Definitely! Adding mushrooms and dried chestnuts make the braised pork leg more flavourful 🙂
When would be a good time to add the dried chestnuts and dried mushrooms ? How long should I soak the chestnuts ?
You can marinate the mushrooms and dried chestnuts together with the pork and fry them together.
Soak the dried chestnuts overnight and remove any skin left before cooking.
An interesting way to “add colour”. Couldn’t see it since my trotters were marinated overnight. Everything was dark brown even after I cut down on the dark soya sauce to 2tbsp. 😉
By the time I got the garlic and spices to be aromatic, the melted sugar began to clump together into a firm glue like texture. I set the flame to low. Did I do it correctly ?
Hi Yvette,
You’ve to keep stirring the oil and sugar together until the sugar melted. The mixture will turns to light brown until darker brown. Do not wait unit the mixture becomes too dark, throw in the garlic and spices. Can dilute with little water if the sugar clump together.
Hi Ann. Can I use brown sugar instead of white sugar to enhance the “add colour” process ? Would the taste be the same ?
Hi Helen, sure you can use brown sugar. To enhance the colour and better taste, I used good quality dark soy sauce. I used 陈公泰soy bean sauce or 广祥泰 brand.
Hi Ann. Why do you add sugar to oil first before frying the spices ?
Hi Yvette, This is to make a dark nice caramel (上色) coated on the meat.
Hi Ashley,Welcome to my blog.Let me go and dig my recipe of honeydew mousse cake. Anyway I did not learn or attend Aunty Yochana classes.As for the cartoon image, it is quite easy, draw the outline of the cartoon with melted chocolate on a plastic and transfer it on the cream cake. This really takes time and patient.
Hi Ashley,I suggest you visit my blogpal christinelua328.blogspot.com, go to the winnie the pooh birthday…you can get a better picture from there.
I love pork legs!1 This looks like its good with hot steaming rice..
Mama Holli, Oh surprise! You love eating pork leg? Will serve you more when you're here ;DD
thanks anncoo…. ur suggestion was good because after I visited her blog, I really learn lots of things.U got my email address ady???
I have come here from another blog and am delighted! I love your recipe of braised pork leg!
Anncoo,I like Har Jiong Kai (prawn paste chicken), this is one of my fav dish!!! but I have not tried to cook this dish.
It looks good but not sure how I could get beyond the fact that you yourself have to remove the hair:)Joyce
This looks wonderful!! So tender and full of flavor!! I could eat the whole bowl right about NOW!
Thanks for this. Now I know how to do this. Fortunately pork legs are something I can probably find pretty easily in Spain. 😉
Hi Ann, I will be cooking this tomorrow for dinner. I don't have chicken powder so what I can replace it with? Chicken Knorr cube and how much? Is it ok to omit it totally and will it affect the taste? Thanks!
Thanks, Ann! Will do just that!
Hi Ai Li, you can mash the chicken Knorr cube and measure the powder.Don't add all the 2 tsp, adjust the taste to your liking.
Hi Ann, I cooked this dish the other night. The gravy was fragrant and tasty however, my meat was streaky. Is it I didn't cook long enough or did I overcook it? Must the water totally cover the pork while cooking? Thanks!
Ai Li, The water should be enough but you can add a little more when you see the liquid dries up a little. Next time can use a slow cooker instead. The tenderness of the pork is depending on how soft you want the meat to be.
I'm the " pork trotter " queen…hehehehe as you can see from my blog , I love trotter so much ! Someday maybe we can have a " Blogger Pork Trotter Party "…LOL… delicious food mostly not so healthy , agree ?
A World in a Pan,Thanks for visiting, please do come often.
Full Timed Housefly,'Blogger Pork Trotter Party'?? …haha…what an good idea 😀
Hi Joyce,Normally the butcher will use a fire gun to burn away the hair but it is always not neatly done. So I will use a mini plastic shaver to clean up the excess.
when u will dig out ur honeydew mousse cake recipe???draw the outline with melted chocolate??? Which mean it's need a very good art skill? quite hard to transfer it from plastic to cake right?
ohhh! i normally cook 3kgs of this lol
WOW! 3kgs! Two months I cooked 2 kgs for 15 people.
Ann, do you think it is ok to use this recipe on Braised Pork Belly? Seasoning and method remain the same except I fry the pork belly on its own, add in the balance marinade to let it absorb and then set aside. Thanks!
Ai Li, sure go ahead. Cooking is more flexible than baking.
SIS: Never mind there is always someone there to eat the fatty area..haha.
I love this dish very much, it goes very well with rice. Your Te Ka looks so…..delicious!!!
ur braised pork leg looks very delicious… haha!!!
Do u hv honeydew mousse cake recipe??? Can u give me if u got because it is quite urgent for me… Usually how u get the recipe from aunty yochana? How u make the cake which got cartoon picture on the top of the cake??? really nice!!! Sorry for ask so many question in a same time….
CBL : Actually I also wanted to add eggs and beancurd, but just because I cooked double recipe to serve 14 people that with other dishes (bak ku teh n prawn paste chicken…)…look at the picture you can see only 7 pieces of meat left.
Christine: I think is a little more salty but my guests love it.
Yummy! Look very much like my mum's version but we like to add hard boiled eggs and beancurd.
If i eat, sure take away the fatty fatty area, kakaka….
Hi Ann. Can I use brown sugar instead of white sugar to enhance the “add colour” process ? Would the taste be the same ?
Hi Helen, sure you can use brown sugar. To enhance the colour and better taste, I used good quality dark soy sauce. I used 陈公泰soy bean sauce or 广祥泰 brand.
Hi Ann. Would it taste good if I add some mushrooms and dried chestnuts ?
Hi Belinda, Definitely! Adding mushrooms and dried chestnuts make the braised pork leg more flavourful 🙂
When would be a good time to add the dried chestnuts and dried mushrooms ? How long should I soak the chestnuts ?
You can marinate the mushrooms and dried chestnuts together with the pork and fry them together.
Soak the dried chestnuts overnight and remove any skin left before cooking.
Hi Ann. Thanks for giving detail instructions on how to handle the melted sugar.
My first attempt following your recipe went well. 🙂
Braised pork using soya sauce is tricky because different brand has their unique flavour, colouring and saltishness. I used 5tbsp Superior Keong Cheong Thye light soya sauce and found it a touch too saltish. Though I used only 2tbsp Tiger, it was too black for my liking. I modified your recipe by adding 1tbsp Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce. Then I cheated by using the slow cooker : 1hr high and 4hrs low, so that I do not need to watch the fire and water. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I’ll definitely try again.
correction. “Tiger” = Tiger brand super grade dark soya sauce
Thanks for the feedback Yvette 😀
An interesting way to “add colour”. Couldn’t see it since my trotters were marinated overnight. Everything was dark brown even after I cut down on the dark soya sauce to 2tbsp. 😉
By the time I got the garlic and spices to be aromatic, the melted sugar began to clump together into a firm glue like texture. I set the flame to low. Did I do it correctly ?
Hi Yvette,
You’ve to keep stirring the oil and sugar together until the sugar melted. The mixture will turns to light brown until darker brown. Do not wait unit the mixture becomes too dark, throw in the garlic and spices. Can dilute with little water if the sugar clump together.
Hi Ann. Why do you add sugar to oil first before frying the spices ?
Hi Yvette, This is to make a dark nice caramel (上色） coated on the meat.
Ann, do you think it is ok to use this recipe on Braised Pork Belly? Seasoning and method remain the same except I fry the pork belly on its own, add in the balance marinade to let it absorb and then set aside. Thanks!
Ai Li, sure go ahead. Cooking is more flexible than baking.
Hi Ann, I cooked this dish the other night. The gravy was fragrant and tasty however, my meat was streaky. Is it I didn't cook long enough or did I overcook it? Must the water totally cover the pork while cooking? Thanks!
Ai Li, The water should be enough but you can add a little more when you see the liquid dries up a little. Next time can use a slow cooker instead. The tenderness of the pork is depending on how soft you want the meat to be.
Hi Ann, I will be cooking this tomorrow for dinner. I don't have chicken powder so what I can replace it with? Chicken Knorr cube and how much? Is it ok to omit it totally and will it affect the taste? Thanks!
Hi Ai Li, you can mash the chicken Knorr cube and measure the powder.
Don't add all the 2 tsp, adjust the taste to your liking.
Thanks, Ann! Will do just that!
Mama Holli, Oh surprise! You love eating pork leg? Will serve you more when you're here ;DD
This looks wonderful!! So tender and full of flavor!! I could eat the whole bowl right about NOW!
WOW! 3kgs! Two months I cooked 2 kgs for 15 people.
ohhh! i normally cook 3kgs of this lol
Full Timed Housefly,
'Blogger Pork Trotter Party'?? …haha…what an good idea 😀
I'm the " pork trotter " queen…hehehehe as you can see from my blog , I love trotter so much ! Someday maybe we can have a " Blogger Pork Trotter Party "…LOL… delicious food mostly not so healthy , agree ?
Thanks for this. Now I know how to do this. Fortunately pork legs are something I can probably find pretty easily in Spain. 😉
Anncoo,
I like Har Jiong Kai (prawn paste chicken), this is one of my fav dish!!! but I have not tried to cook this dish.
Hi Joyce,
Normally the butcher will use a fire gun to burn away the hair but it is always not neatly done. So I will use a mini plastic shaver to clean up the excess.
A World in a Pan,
Thanks for visiting, please do come often.
It looks good but not sure how I could get beyond the fact that you yourself have to remove the hair:)
Joyce