Braised Pork Stomach with Tofu Puffs (油豆腐红烧肉)

This Braised Pork Stomach with Soy Puffs is one other variation on that perennial favourite Chinese language dish, purple braised pork stomach, or hóngshāo ròu. 

This model truly confirmed up fairly often on our dinner desk over previous a long time, largely as a result of the tofu puffs absorb all that scrumptious sauce. A few of us need the tofu much more than the pork! 

One other Braised Pork Stomach? 

We now have shared many braised pork stomach recipes over time, together with the “purest” and easiest of all of them, Shanghai Braised Pork Stomach. It was one of many very first recipes we posted on the weblog virtually 13 years in the past, and it has been fashionable with our readers ever since. 

From there, we added:

Even in our cookbook, we included certainly one of my mom’s favourite variations, which is Hongshao Rou with Arduous-Boiled Eggs. And we nonetheless have extra to share!

However why do we’d like one other braised pork stomach recipe?

Nicely, whenever you embrace soy puffs together with the braised pork stomach, as we do right here, the soy puffs truly develop into the star of the dish. They absorb the flavors from the pork stomach and the sauce, saturating them with taste. Plus, their distinctive delicate texture simply can’t be beat.

I grew up with this dish throughout Chinese language New Yr, and it’s nonetheless very particular to me. It jogs my memory of the joyful Chinese language New Yr Eve meals that we had at my oldest aunt’s home. She and her Cantonese husband had been glorious cooks.

There’s all the time a giant pork dish for the New Yr’s Eve dinner, or nián yèfàn (年夜饭). Let this braised pork stomach with soy puffs be your alternative this yr!

What Are Tofu Puffs?

Tofu Puffs, often known as soy puffs, are fried items of tofu which can be golden on the skin with an ethereal, spongy inside. As we are saying in our article on Tofu Puffs, they’re “chewy and absorbent, virtually like little sponges for flavorful sauces, stews, and soups.” You possibly can even reduce them into items and use them in stir-fries!

We now have not used these fairly often in our recipes, although that has to alter, as a result of we love them. The best way that I take advantage of them most frequently is definitely for this dish! You’ll additionally discover them in Sarah’s Laksa recipe, Shaanxi Saozi Mian, Chinese language sizzling pot, and our Purple Curry Tofu.   

Let’s get on with the recipe!

Recipe Directions

Minimize the pork stomach into ¾- to 1-inch (2cm) items. Add them to a medium pot, and canopy with water. Deliver to a boil over excessive warmth, and boil for about 1 minute, or simply till the pork turns opaque. This course of removes impurities and offers the ultimate dish a cleaner taste. Drain in a colander, rinse the pork clear, and put aside. 

Place a clear, dry wok over medium-low warmth. Add the oil and sugar. Cook dinner till the sugar melts, about 2 minutes, retaining the warmth low to keep away from burning it. As soon as the sugar is totally melted, add the pork and ginger. Improve the warmth to medium, and prepare dinner till the pork is calmly browned across the edges.

Now scale back the warmth to low, and add the Shaoxing wine. Stir and prepare dinner for two minutes, then add the sunshine soy sauce, darkish soy sauce, and water.

Notice:

The water ought to largely cowl the pork stomach to be able to braise it correctly. If utilizing a thick-bottomed pot, it’s possible you’ll want much less—say 2 cups, as it’ll evaporate slower. That mentioned, you may also simply prepare dinner it longer to scale back the liquid. Simply know that you may additionally add extra water alongside the way in which, particularly whenever you need to prepare dinner it longer for a extra tender texture.

Cowl and simmer over medium warmth for about 1 hour (75 minutes or longer when you just like the pork extra tender). Each quarter-hour, stir to forestall burning, and add extra water as wanted.

Now add the soy puffs. Add extra water if the pan is drying out. Cowl and prepare dinner for an additional quarter-hour.

At this level, if there’s nonetheless a superb quantity of seen liquid, uncover the wok, flip up the warmth, and stir constantly for a pair minutes till the sauce has decreased to a glistening coating.

Serve!