Braised Ginger and Black Bean Pork.

Braised Ginger and Black Bean Pork.

This dish is normally stir fried but being slow cooked adds such depth of flavour and saves preparation and washing up time. This is a warming, spicy and flavoursome meal on a day that is wet and miserable. I love food being cooked this way but this method doesn't always work well when the weather is warm (perfect for today, though).

I added 3 types of mushrooms to this dish, dry Shitake mushrooms for flavours and chestnut for the earthiness. The last type of mushroom is perhaps not so well known, white fungus, the mushrooms acts like a sponge, soaking up all the beautiful broth but still retain the most amazing texture. If you happen to come across any, give it a try, it's unlike anything you've tried before.

Serves 6

In a large stock pot, put in

-1 litre vegetable stock or water with a stock cube,

-2tbsp fermented black beans,

-4cm sliced ginger,

-1 sliced onion,

-3 cloves crushed garlic,

-2 sliced peppers,

-5-6 dry chillies,

-3-4 dry Shitake mushrooms.

Bring up to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 10 minutes.

Add 1.3kg pork leg.

Cover with a lid and leave on a gentle simmer for around 4 hours until the meat is tender and melting.

Turn the pork in the stock every hour or so.

When you are ready to serve...

Add..

-1tbsp palm or brown sugar,

-100g sliced chestnut mushrooms,

-150g white fungus mushrooms.

Cook for around 3-5 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, you may need soy sauce and oyster sauce.

Stir through sliced spring onions.

Serve with rice.

Braised Ginger and Black Bean Pork.

This dish is normally stir fried but being slow cooked adds such depth of flavour and saves preparation and washing up time. This is a warming, spicy and flavoursome meal on a day that is wet and miserable. I love food being cooked this way but this method doesn't always work well when the weather is warm (perfect for today, though).

I added 3 types of mushrooms to this dish, dry Shitake mushrooms for flavours and chestnut for the earthiness. The last type of mushroom is perhaps not so well known, white fungus, the mushrooms acts like a sponge, soaking up all the beautiful broth but still retain the most amazing texture. If you happen to come across any, give it a try, it's unlike anything you've tried before.

Serves 6

In a large stock pot, put in

-1 litre vegetable stock or water with a stock cube,

-2tbsp fermented black beans,

-4cm sliced ginger,

-1 sliced onion,

-3 cloves crushed garlic,

-2 sliced peppers,

-5-6 dry chillies,

-3-4 dry Shitake mushrooms.

Bring up to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 10 minutes.

Add 1.3kg pork leg.

Cover with a lid and leave on a gentle simmer for around 4 hours until the meat is tender and melting.

Turn the pork in the stock every hour or so.

When you are ready to serve...

Add..

-1tbsp palm or brown sugar,

-100g sliced chestnut mushrooms,

-150g white fungus mushrooms.

Cook for around 3-5 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, you may need soy sauce and oyster sauce.

Stir through sliced spring onions.

Serve with rice.