Ruby Pork

[howard88]

Having enjoyed braised ruby pork recently at restaurants, I am interested in preparing this dish at home. Any suggestions for the cut of pork, braising liquid, method and marinades. Wow that sounds like a lot, but really a simplified plan which gets me close to the finished product would be fine. The recent entree was served with buns and the pork was tender and juicy and flavorful. The dish was so good, the more serious eaters stuffed the remaining pork fat in the buns and finished them off. Any help is appreciated.

[jo-mel]

I can't find anything, labeled Ruby Pork, in the books I looked in. I have found Shanghai red-cooked pork using pork butt and simmered for 1 1/2 hours, another from A Shanghai cookbook, where a pork shoulder is first deep/fried, then steames, then simmered in a 'crystal sugar' sauce. Other books have similar recipes.

However, I did a 'google' and came up with several Red-Cooked Pork recipes.

The first one in this link looks good to me. It has more flavorings than the others, which are straight red-cooking:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=...G=Google+Search

The word 'Ruby" may just be the chef's own term for his 'red-cooked' dish.

Hope you find something.

[BettyK]

Howard, are you referring to pork cooked with red rice? That's the only pork dish I know that has that ruby colour. Was there any dried shrimp too?

[tommy]

Howard, are you referring to pork cooked with red rice? That's the only pork dish I know that has that ruby colour. Was there any dried shrimp too?

i think he's referring to the pork pictured in this post. no dried shrimp from what i know. it's a pork shoulder in a sweet red sauce.

[Susan G]

I think what you're looking for is called Red-Cooked Pork. The following is a recipe form Cooking Light, November 1999.

"2lbs boneless pork loin roast

1/2 c. dry red wine, divided

2T. sugar

1c. chopped onion

2T. minced fresh ginger

4 garlic cloved, minced

1/2c. soy sauce

7 whole scallions

6 star anise

1c. water

(garnish: 3T chopped scallions)

Trim the fat from the pork. Cut pork into 2" pieces. Combine 1/4c. wine with the sugar in a large Dutch oven, and cook until sugar melt s and mixutre slightly thickens. Add the pork, onion, ginger and garlic, and cook 5 mintes, browning the pork on all sides. Add the remaining wine, soy sauce, whole scallions, and star anise. Bring mixture toa boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 75 minutes, until the pork shreds easily with a fork. Spoon over rice and serve with chopped scallions."

Although the recipe doesn't mention it, you may want to try using a drop or two of red food coloring for that restaurant-quality ruby color you liked so much.

If I recall correctly, this dish was reputed to be Chairman Mao's favorite - and his wife nagged at him to eat more vegetables and fewer fatty dishes. (Like this one). If this isn't the flavor you remember, try searching for recipes for Twice-Cooked Pork, which is also sometimes colored red in restaurants. Happy eating!

[howard88]

The dish I am referring to is the one identified by Tommy. Both Susan G and Jo-mel's recipes look good to try. I may combine some elements from each and go for it. The dish is so succulent, I am eager to get started. Thanks for the input.

[jo-mel]

A couple more comments -----

I know the dish, in that I enjoyed it at China46 (NJ), where they called it Ruby Pork. I guess the name just reflects the actual cooking method - Red Cooking - (Hong Shao). The recipe which follows is from Shanghai cooking in the Wei Chuan series. The picture with the recipe is similar to the one posted by Tommy ---before being cut.

A 2 1/2 pound pork shoulder is is washed, dried, and a couple Tbsp soy sauce is rubbed over it.

It is then deep/fried in about 6 cups of oil at 360' , until it is golden. The piece is then steamed for a couple of hours with a couple cups of stock, 1/4 cup soy, some scallions and 3 thick slices of ginger.

From there, it goes into a deep pot with 1/2 cup ShaoXing wine, 1/3 cup crystal sugar (rock sugar - amber colored hard pieces of sugar), and 2 Tbsp soy until only5 Tbsp. of the sauce remains.

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Deh-Ta Hsiung's " The Chinese Kitchen" has a one-step recipe in which a 3 to 4 1/2 pound pork shoulder is cleaned, hairs removed, punctured a few times with a knife, to the bone, (to shorten cooking time) --- then placed, skin side down, in a big pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil, skimming off the scum.

Add a Tbsp. sliced ginger, a couple cut scallions, 3 Tbsp. light soy, 1/3 cup dark soy, 4 Tbsp. rice wine and a couple ounces of crushed rock sugar. Simmer this covered for about 1/2 hour, then turn the pork over so the skin side is up. Cook a couple more hours, covered. The liquid should have reduced by 3/4. Raise the heat, and cook for another 5 minutes without the cover, so as to reduce and thicken the liquid further.

(This same recipe can be found in his "Chinese Regional Cooking")

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Yan Kit Martin has a similar recipe as the last one. She has a tip to prevent the skin from sticking to the bottom of the pot ------place a small lattice bamboo mat (if you have one) in the bottom of the pot. I wonder what could substitiute? Several short chopsticks?

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One last one from Calvin Lee's "The Gourmet Chinese Regional Cookbook". This one has a couple of flavorings you often find in 'red cooking' --- cinnamon and star anise. Did you detect those flavors in the pork you had?

A small pork butt - 1 1/2 pounds. Put it in a pot with a couple Tbsp. dark soy, 3 of light soy, a cup of chicken broth/stock, 3 quarter-sized slices of ginger, a couple of cut scallions, 1 1/2 tsp. light brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. gin, a piece of cinnamon stick about 1 1/2 inches long and a star anise. (that is 8 sections --- one whole one has 8 cloves)

Bring the whole thing to a boil, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, turning the pork every 15 minutes.

The directions then say to cool and slice. Nothing about reducing the liquid, but if I were doing this recipe, I would use the thickened sauce to serve with the warm pork.

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As you can see, there is no one recipe for Red Cooked Pork --- Each chef has his own variation on the theme.

[howard88]

jo-mel:

The recipe from Shanghai Cooking seems similar to the China 46 dish.

After the deep fry step, the pork is actually steamed (not placed in the liquid), until the last step, which is a braise, I assume using a gentle heat. Cover off during the last step?

[jo-mel]

The directions, in that book from the Wei Chuan series, are not very clear. (I can't see any word for 'cover' in the Chinese direction.) It just says that after you transfer the pork to a pot and add the soy, sugar and wine, ---- you simmer until the sauce is down to 5 Tbsp.

I would guess that you would leave the pot uncovered. Since there is very little liquid to begin with -- 10 Tbsp of soy and wine, and 3 of the rock sugar, it wouldn't take long to reduce.

Did you have the Ruby Pork at China46? I wonder if Cecil would part with his recipe, (probably 'no', because few Chinese chefs give out their recipes) or at least tell what the cooking forms are.

[mags]

I also assumed that the dish under discussion was simply red-cooked pork, but in looking at the picture, the pork butt seems to have been stuffed -- with shrimp and tree-ear mushrooms, maybe? -- before being fried/braised/steamed.

[tommy]

i don't think pork at China 46 is stuffed.

[jo-mel]

My husband and I just returned from China 46 where we had a great dinner od Capsicum Noodles, Shanghai Soft Fried Noodles, Shanghai Bok Choy with Garlic, and Ruby Pork.

Cecil, the owner came over to talk about the Ruby Pork, and knowing my intense interest in Chinese food, and about my cooking classes, he gave me the secret to the color of the Ruby Pork and the sauce.

What's it worth? ------------- (Just joking!!)

Cecil had a package of 'red rice' -- a rice that has been fermented with a yeast (or cross pollinated with another rice, depending on what source you are reading). He said he uses the rice in the cooking liquid (chicken broth) along with rock sugar, a very little anise, and that is about it. The cooking takes about 3 hours, and the liquid is reduced to a thick sauce. He said he doesn't use soy. I didn't get straight whether he included a pre-cooking in plain water to pre-poach the pork before the actual seasoned cooking. He didn't say how much of the rice he uses, but he did say it doesn't take much. He said at home you would only use a couple of Tbsp, so the package would last a long time, but, in his restaurant he goes through the packages very quickly. I asked if it was a shoulder of pork and he said -- 'Yes' but there are 4 shoulders on the pig, and the two in the rear have more bones than in the front. I took it that he uses the front shoulder.

That's about it.

I googled Red Rice and found this link. Scroll down for a picture and a description.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=use...DUTF-8%26sa%3DG

(That red rice is also powedered and used to give the red color to those red laquered ducks that you see hanging in restaurants.)

Hope this helps, and answers some questions.

[Gary Soup]

Red rice ("red yeast" in Chinese) is also used to color "char siu". Since it's known to have cholesterol lowering properties, it's a good match for pork shoulder, I'd guess. Here's more than you want to know from the University of Maryland:

Red Rice

Do you need a Doctor's prescription to order Ruby Pork?

[jhlurie]

Do you need a Doctor's prescription to order Ruby Pork?

Nope. Just 21 dollars and 95 cents!

[BettyK]

Yeah. At least I got the red rice part right.

I'm wondering...is red rice same as annato seed? I went to the Asian grocery store the other day and saw those little red pellets that look just like red rice but it was labelled annato seed. I guess I should have asked while I was there.

Edited March 27, 2004 by BettyK (log)

[jo-mel]

Yeah. At least I got the red rice part right.

I'm wondering...is red rice same as annato seed? I went to the Asian grocery store the other day and saw those little red pellets that look just like red rice but it was labelled annato seed. I guess I should have asked while I was there.

That's right --- you were the first to come up with the 'red rice' idea. It never crossed my mind. Good for you!

In my Von Walanetz ingredient book, they say that Annato seeds are the same as Achiote Seed, a rusty red seed from the tropical Annato tree. It says the seeds are primarily used for color -- but in their case it is the color 'yellow'. It is used in coloring butter, cheeses and such, and also to give rice a bright saffron color.

I've seen the word in ingredients and now I realize what it is for. It's usually in Latin American food.

Gary - I was looking up 'red rice' on 'google' and found more on its medicinal value than on its use in food. Also, its connection to 'myopathy' --- which is (as you said) more than I needed to know! LOL!

[BettyK]

Yeah. At least I got the red rice part right.

I'm wondering...is red rice same as annato seed? I went to the Asian grocery store the other day and saw those little red pellets that look just like red rice but it was labelled annato seed. I guess I should have asked while I was there.

That's right --- you were the first to come up with the 'red rice' idea. It never crossed my mind. Good for you!

In my Von Walanetz ingredient book, they say that Annato seeds are the same as Achiote Seed, a rusty red seed from the tropical Annato tree. It says the seeds are primarily used for color -- but in their case it is the color 'yellow'. It is used in coloring butter, cheeses and such, and also to give rice a bright saffron color.

I've seen the word in ingredients and now I realize what it is for. It's usually in Latin American food.

Gary - I was looking up 'red rice' on 'google' and found more on its medicinal value than on its use in food. Also, its connection to 'myopathy' --- which is (as you said) more than I needed to know! LOL!

Hey, it's my favorite pork dish and used to be my grandma's favorite too...so I should be able to smell this from far far away.

True and I even have two little bags of this yellow powder sitting in my pantry but never used.

I will have to check what were those red pellets are, next time I go to the Asian grocery store.

I also did quite a bit of research on red rice on the internet but couldn't find any recipes...all medicinal. I found it quite interesting that they would pair red rice with pork belly. Comes with it's own medicine. Got to love that.

[jo-mel]

BettyK "I also did quite a bit of research on red rice on the internet but couldn't find any recipes...

In my own books, I can't find any --- but one - A Shanghai book. "Purple Rice with Pork Belly".

I wonder if it is an ingredient solely used in Shanghai food.

[mags]

I'm wondering if it's wine rice.

[BettyK]

BettyK "I also did quite a bit of research on red rice on the internet but couldn't find any recipes...

In my own books, I can't find any --- but one - A Shanghai book. "Purple Rice with Pork Belly".

I wonder if it is an ingredient solely used in Shanghai food.

I don't think so. My great grand-parents were Fukienese and Hakka. My mam's red pork is a little different from the Shanghainese version. I don't think there's star anise and cinnamon but there's definitely soy sauce, dried shrimp, red rice and red wine.

[Gary Soup]

BettyK "I also did quite a bit of research on red rice on the internet but couldn't find any recipes...

In my own books, I can't find any --- but one - A Shanghai book. "Purple Rice with Pork Belly".

I wonder if it is an ingredient solely used in Shanghai food.

I don't know of any connection to Shanghai cuisine. Certainly "red-cooked" pork (which isn't really red, anyway) doesn't use red yeast rice. My only familiarity with it is in Cantonese charcuterie, and perhaps in the fermented doufu my wife sometimes put in her pao fan or puts out as a condiment.

[BettyK]

BettyK "I also did quite a bit of research on red rice on the internet but couldn't find any recipes...

In my own books, I can't find any --- but one - A Shanghai book. "Purple Rice with Pork Belly".

I wonder if it is an ingredient solely used in Shanghai food.

I don't know of any connection to Shanghai cuisine. Certainly "red-cooked" pork (which isn't really red, anyway) doesn't use red yeast rice. My only familiarity with it is in Cantonese charcuterie, and perhaps in the fermented doufu my wife sometimes put in her pao fan or puts out as a condiment.

According to Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, "Chinese Kitchen", Red Cooked Pork Shoulder aka Jau Yai Tai Pong is "surely one of the foremost classics of Shanghai". There is red rice in her recipe. Authentic or not, I wouldn't know.

Edited March 28, 2004 by BettyK (log)

[jo-mel]

Gary -- you are right. The red rice is used to color laquered duck and BBQ pork.

I tried to find what Red Rice Vinegar is made from, but was not successful. Lots of descriptions, but aside from 'rice' it does not specifically say 'red rice'. I would assume it must be, because of the beautiful, bright, clear, reddish color, but I don't really know.

[jo-mel]

BettyK - I just looked up that recipe in Eileen' yin Fei-los book. I see that she uses the rice in a powdered form. That is what one description of its use said -----somewhere. The recipe for 'Purple Rice with Pork Belly from "Shanghai Dishes on the Table" puts 3 Tbsp. 'purple' rice in a cloth pouch.

So the same effect is gained -- color, and since the powdered rice, in Eileen's book is optional, I guess flavor is not the point.

I've been reading about, cooking, eating and everything else about Chinese food for over half my life (and THAT is a long time!)----and I am still learning something!! LOL!