Picture courtesy from omy.com.sg
尤今is one of my favourite authors. She published a special recipe book last year 《螃蟹爬上树-炊烟心情》and I read it again and again several times, front to back and back to front. This recipe book is special because she is a renown Chinese writer for over 20 years attempted to combine her writing skills with a recipe behind each article. Not many writers/cooks can write such a book if he/she doesn’t have the forte in writing and interest in cooking, she is fortunate to have both. More importantly, she introduced Chinese traditional culture into her book, it is a walk with her through our Chinese culture and philosophy that touches my heart.
One of the recipes she shared is this Dongpo ro 东坡肉, to braise the fatty pork to render its fat so that the fatty part is not too oily while the lean part is not too dry.
Judging from the ingredients she used, her version is more for home cooking, you can eat it again and again. But without herbs such as star anise and cinnamon, this dish lacks another layer of flavours. Then again, this is more authentic (古早味) to me as it has the ‘mummy’ taste to it. Due to time constraint, I cooked this using slices of fatty pork rather than cutting them into cubes, which would demand more time in cooking.
