RED COOKED PORK WITH CHESTNUTS

SERVES 8

2 tbsp groundnut oil

1 whole, bone-in pork shoulder, about 3kg in weight, trimmed of skin and most surface fat

90ml light soy

2 whole star anise

5cm piece ginger, peeled and sliced 4 whole, peeled garlic cloves

5 spring onions

1 cinnamon stick

3 tbsp light brown soft sugar

250ml Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 500ml light chicken stock or water

240g tin cooked chestnuts

Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3. Heat the oil in a very large casserole, saucepan or deep-sided frying pan. Add the pork and brown on both sides. Add all the remaining ingredients except the chestnuts to the pan.

Pour in enough extra water to almost cover the pork. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 3.5-4 hours, or until the pork is incredibly tender. Check the pork every hour; if the liquid has evaporated too much (the pork should be no less than half-covered), top up with water.

About 30 minutes before the pork is cooked, add the chestnuts. At this point, the pork can be cooled and chilled for up to 3 days. Scrape the solidified fat from the surface of the stock before reheating. Otherwise, spoon excess fat from the liquid in the pan.

Break the pork into pieces and serve with lots of the cooking liquid spooned over steamed sticky rice or Jasmine rice, and stir-fried greens, such as pak choi, broccoli or winter greens. →