Yield: 8 Servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 2 \N | -(up to) |
| 3 pounds | Pork |
| 4 tablespoons | Salt |
| \N \N | Water to cover |
1. Have pork boned, but kept intact. Wipe clean with a damp cloth; dry with paper toweling; then rub with salt and refrigerate, covered, 2 days.
2. Wipe pork with a damp cloth to remove excess salt. Place in a heavy pan with water. Bring to a boil; then simmer, covered, until tender (about 1-½ hours), turning meat several times. Drain, reserving liquid for stock.
3. Squeeze pork snugly into a deep rectangular pan (like a cake pan) and cover with a weighted tray. (Use heavy books or a kettle filled with water for the weight.) Let stand until meat is compressed and rectangular (about 2 to 3 hours).
4. Remove weights and refrigerate pork to chill. Slice ¼-inch thick, then in rectangles 1-½ inches wide and 2 inches long. Serve cold with dips for plain-cooked pork. (See recipes "Soy-Sesame Dip for Pork", "Soy-Mustard Dip for Pork", "Chili-Soy Dip for Pork", or "Hoisin Dip for Pork").
VARIATIONS: After step 1, add to the pork ½ cup sherry and 1 clove star anise. Refrigerate a third day, turning meat several times. Drain; reserve marinade and combine it with enough cold water to make 3 cups.
Bring to a boil as in step 2. Continue as above.
In step 3, wrap pork in a clean cloth. Place on a plate and top with a weighted tray. Let stand overnight in a cool place, then refrigerate to chill.
From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, ISBN 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, .