Suzhou Five-Spice Braised Pork

Suzhou Five-Spice Braised Pork

　　A specialty of Jiangsu—Suzhou Five-Spice Braised Pork features a rectangular shape, with a sauce-red skin that is even and shiny, lean meat slightly red, fat marbling white and translucent. It boasts a rich aroma, tender texture, a savory-sweet flavor that melts in the mouth, and is deliciously savory.

　　 Specialty production: Meat 100 kg, soy sauce 3 kg, Shaoxing wine 3 kg, refined salt 6–7 kg, tangerine peel 150 g, star anise 200 g, scallions 2 kg, ginger 200 g, white sugar 1 kg – 50 g.

　　 1. Cutting: Use ribs with thin skin and tender meat, where the fat layer does not exceed 2 cm. The raw material should be rib meat with the skin on. First scrape off the hair, remove blood stains, cut off the nipples, then cut into rectangular pieces of 10×16 cm, weighing 0.8 kg each. Make 8–12 knife cuts on each piece to help absorb the salt.

　　 2. Salting: Sprinkle salt and saltpeter on the meat pieces and rub salt on the surface. Then place them in a wooden barrel. After 5–6 hours, transfer them to a brine vat for curing. Curing time depends on ambient temperature. At room temperature of 20°C, 12 hours is sufficient; if over 30°C, only 4–5 hours are needed. In winter, when the temperature is low, curing may take 1–2 days to fully penetrate.

　　 3. Braising: Drain the brine from the cured meat. First boil water in the pot, then add spices and auxiliary ingredients. Put the meat pieces into the pot, bring to a strong boil, then add Shaoxing wine and soy sauce before switching to low heat and simmering for 2 hours. When the skin turns straw yellow, add sugar 30 minutes before removing from heat. When taking out of the pot, arrange the pieces individually on a plate, skin side up. While still hot, remove the ribs to maintain an attractive shape. Once cooled, it’s ready for serving.

　　 Specialty benefits: Beef is rich in high-quality protein, and its amino acid composition is closer to human needs than pork. It can enhance the body’s disease resistance, making it especially suitable for those in growth, recovery, or post-illness stages needing to replenish blood loss and repair tissues. Eating beef in winter warms the stomach and makes it a great tonic for the season. Beef helps tonify the middle burner and boost qi, nourish the spleen and stomach, strengthen muscles and bones, resolve phlegm and calm wind, quench thirst, and control drooling. It is suitable for those with weak middle qi, shortness of breath, physical fatigue, sore muscles and bones, long-term anemia, pale complexion, and dizziness.