Pork Knuckles with Red Fermented Bean Curd 南乳炆豬手

Pork Knuckles with Red Fermented Bean Curd 南乳炆豬手 (Cantonese: lam yu mun zhu sau) is a very common and traditional Chinese dish.  Some people say it’s a Cantonese dish and some say it originated from Hakka cuisine.  The Hakka people migrated to Guangdong province around a thousand years ago. They adapted local Cantonese cuisine and vice versa. Therefore, over time, it's difficult to differentiate what belongs to who. But we know for sure that this dish has been a favourite amongst the Cantonese and Hakka people.

We usually use the front knuckles for this dish because it has more meat and tendons than the hind knuckles.  For more details about pork knuckles and hocks, read my post for my Soy Marinade Boneless Pork Hocks 滷水去骨元蹄 recipe.

Since pork knuckles have always been one of the most economic parts of the pig, it's a common ingredient amongst labourers .  Most Chinese people believe that eating pork knuckles can give you strong muscles and joints.  Its high collagen content is also able to repair joint damage and aging skin.  New mothers will usually eat Pig’s Feet With Sweet Vinegar and Ginger 豬腳薑醋 to help with the body’s recovery after child-birth.  However, they can only eat it 7-12 days after child-birth. This is when most of the lochia has been discharged.  However, Pork Knuckles with Red Fermented Bean Curd can be consumed immediately after child-birth to start replenishing the body's collagen. This is also a great dish for growing kids too.

As I mentioned in my earlier posts, since I’ve reached the big five-O, I need to start eating more collagen-rich foods so I can dial back the clock (hopefully).  And Pork Knuckles with Red Fermented Bean Curd is one of those dishes.  Lots of people mistaken that pork knuckles are high in fat.  There’s actually not much fat on them and with parboiling, much of that fat melts into the water. So, not much fat makes it into the actual dish.

This is an extremely popular dish in Cantonese congee noodle restaurants 粥粉麵館 (jook fun meen goon).  They usually serve Pork Knuckles with Red Fermented Bean Curd 南乳炆豬手 over wonton noodles and wonton soup on the side.  I personally prefer it over rice.

With my Pork Knuckles with Red Fermented Bean Curd 南乳炆豬手 recipe, I’ll show you how to make tender pork knuckles that don’t fall apart and still have some chew to the skin. 

Pork Knuckles with Red Fermented Bean Curd 南乳炆豬手

It is traditional to add peanuts to this dish but you may skip it altogether.

You will specifically need to use Red Fermented Bean Curd or Nam Yu 南乳. It cannot be substituted with the white bean curd or Fu Yu 腐乳.

5 from 1 vote

Approximate cost (CAD) $15

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 777 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1.4 kg Pork knuckles , bone-in
• 40 g Red fermented bean curd , approx. 4 cubes
• 2 tbsp Red yeast rice liquid (the red liquid that is found in red fermented bean curd)
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
• 1 c Raw peanuts
• 3 slices Ginger
• 1 stalk Green onion , large segments
• 4 cloves Garlic , rough chopped
• 2 Star anise
• 4 Bay leaves
• 1 Small cinnamon stick
• 40 g Rock sugar
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 L Water

Instructions

 

• Place pork knuckles into a large pot and fill with water so that water covers the pork knuckles. Bring to a boil using high heat. When water boils, turn heat down to medium and cook for 5 minutes
• Rinse pork knuckles with cold water
  
• Strain in colander
• Soak peanuts for 30 minutes
  
• Place peanuts into a pot and add water. Bring to a boil using high heat. Turn heat down to medium and cook for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside
  
• Prepare 4 cubes of red fermented bean curd and 2 tbsp of the red yeast rice liquid that is in the jar of red fermented bean curd
  
• Add 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine. Mix and break apart the bean curd. Set aside
  
• Prepare ginger, garlic and green onions
  
• After pork knuckles have cooled, pluck any hairs that are still on with a fish bone tweezer (or any kind of tweezer) and set aside
  
• In a wok, on medium high heat, add 2 tbsp oil, add ginger, garlic and green onions. Stir-fry until aromatic
• Add red fermented bean curd mixture to the wok. Mix well
  
• Add pork knuckles to the wok and mix with the sauce
  
• Add peanuts, star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and rock sugar to the wok
  
• Add enough water to almost cover the pork knuckles
  
• Turn heat to high. When the liquid boils, turn the heat to low and cook for 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes
• After 50 minutes, do not remove the lid and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 15 minutes
• After 15 minutes, remove the lid. Use a chopstick to test the texture. The chopstick should be able to go through the meat easily. If you want the meat softer, turn heat on low and cook for another 15 minutes and check again
  
• Once texture is right, turn heat to high to evaporate some of the liquid. Continue stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom of the wok. You can turn off heat when you reach your desired sauce consistency. If the liquid is too much to evaporate, you may also choose to add a cornstarch slurry with equal parts cornstarch and water
• Taste test. Add sugar, salt, soy sauce if necessary. Add more dark soy sauce if you would like a darker colour
• Serve over rice or noodles
  

Nutrition

Calories: 777kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 47gFat: 68gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 32gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 834mgPotassium: 197mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 27IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Bean Curd, Fermented Bean Curd, Pork, Pork Knuckle

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