This Cantonese classic is traditionally served to women post-childbirth, and is shared with friends and visitors in celebration of the arrival of a baby. As per Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophies, the dish is heralded for its ‘blood-building’, ‘re-building’ and ‘warming’ properties. According to our understanding of modern nutrition, I’d say that it’s incredibly nourishing for a number of reasons, as a rich source of:
- Collagen, to support tissue repair, skin and joint health
- Glycine (an amino acid component of gelatin/collagen), which is highly anti-inflammatory (see this post for more)
- Cholesterol, an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant nutrient (sorely misunderstood and sadly avoided) essential for proper hormonal health and brain function
- Ginger, which boosts circulation and helps to relieve abdominal bloating
- Minerals calcium and magnesium, extracted from the pork bones when braised in vinegar
That said, tradition and history give this dish a cultural significance that extends greatly beyond mere nourishment. What and with whom we eat, and in what context, can inspire and strengthen the bonds between individuals, communities and even countries. I’m lucky enough to be a part of, by an uncle’s marriage, a large, extended Cantonese family, with whom I enjoyed this dish in celebration of the birth of my cousin and the coming together of kin. Although the recipe below serves just 4-6, customarily this dish would be made in a giant clay pot, in a large enough quantity to last for the 40 days of the mother’s ‘confinement period’ post-birth. I suggest however, that you don’t hold out for the birth of a baby to cook and savour this meal!
Take note, there is a lot of ginger used in this recipe, it’s no misprint. The nuggets of ginger, after being stewed and pickled in vinegar can be eaten whole, the sweet vinegar turning the spicy, woody stalks into deliciously sweet little morsels. The braised pieces of pork become tender, rich and gelatinous, and the hard boiled eggs add another level of texture and soak up the tasty sauce. Traditionally, this recipe is made with pork trotters, although I’ve substituted knuckles to make the dish a less daunting prospect for the uninitiated. I sampled it made with trotters, and it was wonderful. Whatever your choice, using such meats that might commonly be thought of as off-cuts pays homage to a ‘nose-to-tail’ style of eating and makes the most of the whole animal.
Take note, there is a lot of ginger used in this recipe, it’s no misprint. The nuggets of ginger, after being stewed and pickled in vinegar can be eaten whole, the sweet vinegar turning the spicy, woody stalks into deliciously sweet little morsels. The braised pieces of pork become tender, rich and gelatinous, and the hard boiled eggs add another level of texture and soak up the tasty sauce. Traditionally, this recipe is made with pork trotters, although I’ve substituted knuckles to make the dish a less daunting prospect for the uninitiated. I sampled it made with trotters, and it was wonderful. Whatever your choice, using such meats that might commonly be thought of as off-cuts pays homage to a ‘nose-to-tail’ style of eating and makes the most of the whole animal.
Cantonese pork knuckle braised in sweet vinegar and ginger 豬腳薑醋
Recipe courtesy of Pam Young and Sau Kuen Tam, adapted from this recipe. You will need to start the dish a day before serving (trust me, it’s worth the wait).
Serves 4-6
800g pork knuckles, cut into thick wedges (or use trotters)
400g young ginger, peeled and roughly chopped into 2 cm-thick pieces
2 bottles (600ml each) Chinese sweet vinegar* (this brand is recommended)
6 pasture-fed eggs
2 tsp refined coconut oil**
Salt, to taste
Heat a medium wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Lightly bruise the chunks of ginger with the back of a knife, then dry-fry in the hot pan (a technique called “white wok” 白鑊) for a few minutes until slightly browned. Add coconut oil and stir-fry for a few minutes longer until fragrant. Remove ginger and set aside.
Heat a medium-large cooking pot or casserole dish*** over medium-high heat. Add the fried ginger and both bottles of sweet vinegar. Bring to the boil, then turn down heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 1½-2 hours. Remove the whole dish from the heat, still covered, and allow to cool and rest, refrigerated, overnight.
Remove the ginger vinegar mixture from the fridge at allow to come to room temperature. While you wait, rinse and clean the pork knuckles/trotters. Blanch the pork in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes to remove any impurities, then drain, rinse and set aside.
Over medium-high heat, bring the ginger vinegar mixture to the boil. Add pork and allow to come to the boil again. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for around 1 hour, or until the pork becomes tender.
Whilst the pork is cooking, bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil and hard-boil the eggs (about 10-12 minutes), then allow to cool by submerging in cold water (this will make the eggs easier to peel). Peel eggs and set aside.
Once the pork has cooked, transfer the eggs to the main pot with the pork and vinegar. Allow the eggs to warm through for a few minutes before tasting and seasoning with salt as desired. Serve hot, along with stir-fried Chinese greens and white rice to mop up the sweet, gingery sauce.
*If you can’t find sweet vinegar, substitute 2.5 cups white vinegar, ¾ cup dark soy sauce and ¾ cup rock sugar.
**I replaced sesame oil with refined coconut oil, to avoid the unstable polyunsaturated omega-6 fats in sesame oil. Refined coconut oil (as opposed to ‘raw’, or cold-pressed) is fairly neutral in taste and will not impart any coconut flavour to the dish.
***A clay or ceramic post is best, one large enough to allow the vinegar to cover all the ingredients. You could also use a slow-cooker for this recipe and save on cooking time.
Serves 4-6
800g pork knuckles, cut into thick wedges (or use trotters)
400g young ginger, peeled and roughly chopped into 2 cm-thick pieces
2 bottles (600ml each) Chinese sweet vinegar* (this brand is recommended)
6 pasture-fed eggs
2 tsp refined coconut oil**
Salt, to taste
Heat a medium wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Lightly bruise the chunks of ginger with the back of a knife, then dry-fry in the hot pan (a technique called “white wok” 白鑊) for a few minutes until slightly browned. Add coconut oil and stir-fry for a few minutes longer until fragrant. Remove ginger and set aside.
Heat a medium-large cooking pot or casserole dish*** over medium-high heat. Add the fried ginger and both bottles of sweet vinegar. Bring to the boil, then turn down heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 1½-2 hours. Remove the whole dish from the heat, still covered, and allow to cool and rest, refrigerated, overnight.
Remove the ginger vinegar mixture from the fridge at allow to come to room temperature. While you wait, rinse and clean the pork knuckles/trotters. Blanch the pork in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes to remove any impurities, then drain, rinse and set aside.
Over medium-high heat, bring the ginger vinegar mixture to the boil. Add pork and allow to come to the boil again. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for around 1 hour, or until the pork becomes tender.
Whilst the pork is cooking, bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil and hard-boil the eggs (about 10-12 minutes), then allow to cool by submerging in cold water (this will make the eggs easier to peel). Peel eggs and set aside.
Once the pork has cooked, transfer the eggs to the main pot with the pork and vinegar. Allow the eggs to warm through for a few minutes before tasting and seasoning with salt as desired. Serve hot, along with stir-fried Chinese greens and white rice to mop up the sweet, gingery sauce.
*If you can’t find sweet vinegar, substitute 2.5 cups white vinegar, ¾ cup dark soy sauce and ¾ cup rock sugar.
**I replaced sesame oil with refined coconut oil, to avoid the unstable polyunsaturated omega-6 fats in sesame oil. Refined coconut oil (as opposed to ‘raw’, or cold-pressed) is fairly neutral in taste and will not impart any coconut flavour to the dish.
***A clay or ceramic post is best, one large enough to allow the vinegar to cover all the ingredients. You could also use a slow-cooker for this recipe and save on cooking time.
