Sweet and Wrinkled Pork

Sweet and Wrinkled Pork

　　Sweet and Wrinkled Pork is characterized by its wrinkled skin, tender and flavorful meat, and an intensely sweet taste. It is a dish from the Chaoshan cuisine. Main ingredients: 500g pork belly, 400g taro, 800g sugar, 5g dark soy sauce, 10g wet starch, 1000g cooking oil or 100g oyster sauce, 100g lard.

　　Method: 1. Scrape and wash the pork clean. Peel and wash the taro, steam it over medium heat until cooked, then mash it into a paste.

　　2. Place the pork in a pot of boiling water and simmer over medium heat for about 40 minutes until tender. Remove it, prick several small holes in the skin with an iron needle, wipe dry with a cloth, and coat evenly with soy sauce for coloring. Heat a wok over medium heat, pour in the cooking oil, and heat until the oil reaches about 150°C. Add the pork, cover with a lid, remove from the heat source, and deep-fry until the skin turns golden brown. Drain the oil using a strainer. Cut the pork into rectangular pieces approximately 8cm long, 5cm wide, and 1.2cm thick. Return the wok to the stove, add 1000g of water, and blanch the pork for about 5 minutes. Remove and rinse in clean water. Repeat the blanching process 4 times in total to remove excess oil.

　　3. Line the bottom of a clay pot with bamboo skewers, add 400g of water and 400g of sugar, then place the pork pieces inside. Cover and simmer over low heat for about half an hour. Remove and arrange in a bowl with the skin side facing down.

　　4. Heat the wok over medium heat, add 100g of lard, then put in the mashed taro. Turn the heat to low and slowly stir-fry, gradually adding 300g of sugar while stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove and spread the taro mixture on top of the pork. Place the pork along with the taro mixture into a steamer and steam over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Remove and invert onto a serving bowl.

　　5. Clean the wok, add 150g of water and 100g of sugar, bring to a boil, then thicken the sauce with diluted wet starch. Drizzle the sauce over the pork and serve.