Steamed Pork in Aromatic Broth

• 2kg pork knuckle or spare rib chops, on the bone


• 10 spring onions (or leek and spring onions)


• 75g lump of ginger


• 4 cloves of garlic


• 2 tbsp groundnut oil


• 2 tbsp sugar


• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce


• 3 tbsp rice wine


• 1 tsp salt


• 3 whole star anise


• 1 tsp five spice powder


• 1 tsp crushed, dried chillies


• a stick of cinnamon


• a litre of stock

1. Fill a large pan with water, add the pork and bring it to the boil.


2. Simmer for 5 minutes, then lift out the pork, set aside and discard the hot water and scum.


3. While the meat is simmering, trim the onions: remove the darkest part of the green stalks and discard, and chop the rest.


4. Peel the ginger and cut the flesh into 'matchsticks'.


5. Peel and finely slice the garlic.


6. Clean your pan and put it back on the heat, then add the oil.


7. Warm it over a moderate heat then add the spring onions, ginger and garlic, and leave to soften, stirring so they do not colour.


8. Lower in the piece of pork. Add the sugar, soy sauce and wine, salt, star anise, five spice powder, crushed chillies, cinnamon stick and then the stock.


9. Bring to the boil.


10. Once the stock is boiling, turn the heat down so that the cooking continues at a comfortable simmer, then cover with a lid.


11. Leave to cook gently for an hour, checking occasionally that there is plenty of liquid left in the pan.


12. Turn the meat over, so that the other half is now under the broth, cover, and let it continue cooking for a further hour.