Braised Pork Knuckles 紅燒豬蹄

Braised Pork Knuckles 紅燒豬蹄 (hóng shāo zhū tí) are very popular in Chinese cuisine.  There are many ways of making it.  Every region has their own special blend of spices.  How it’s braised can also result in slight variations in texture.  My recipe is based on Min Nan 閩南 (mǐn nán) cuisine or Min Cai 閩菜 (mǐn cài) for short.  It’s slightly sweet and has less spice flavour than most of its other counterparts.

Min Nan cuisine is also popular in Taiwan since most people there are from the southern part of Fujian, namely the Xiamen area.  This is why the dialect spoken in Taiwan, which is referred to as Taiwanese in Taiwan is pretty much the same as Min Nan dialect spoken in Xiamen.  Another dialect spoken in Fujian is Fuzhou dialect which is quite different from Min Nan.  Fuzhou dialect is more similar to the Chaoshan (or Chaozhou) dialect from Guangdong. This is because Chaozhou people migrated to Guangdong from Fujian thousands of years ago.  Therefore, Chaozhou people were once Fujian people so dialect and cuisine are similar.

Enough of the technical stuff!  My Braised Pork Knuckles 紅燒豬蹄 has quite a few ingredients, but is quite simple to make!  I add a secret ingredient that I find makes a big difference in taste!  I like how they serve it with preserved sour mustard greens at Taiwanese restaurants.  One restaurant also sprinkles it with some finely ground roasted peanuts, served in a steamed bun.  It was absolutely divine, in my opinion!

I didn’t quite care for foods with a sticky texture as a kid.  Now that I’m in my fifties, I am always thinking about adding more collagen to my diet.  Pork knuckles are a delicious way to increase your collagen.  Give my recipe a try and you’ll be on your way to healthy joints and beautiful skin!

Looking for more? Check out my other recipes:

• Pork Knuckles with Red Fermented Bean Curd 南乳炆豬手
• Soy Marinade Boneless Pork Hocks 滷水去骨元蹄
• Pig’s Feet With Sweet Vinegar and Ginger 豬腳薑醋

Braised Pork Knuckles 紅燒豬蹄

I like to serve these Braised Pork Knuckles with preserved vegetables and ground peanuts. I had them in a Taiwanese restaurant like that and it was delicious!

Serving them with gua bao (steamed white bun that is folded like a little hamburger bun) is not only fun but very yummy too!

Peanut butter is my secret ingredient! Shhhhhhh!

5 from 1 vote

Approximate cost (CAD) $9

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Chinese, Min Cai, Min Nan

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 888 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1.8 kg Pork knuckles aka whole shank bone-in aka pork hock (4lbs)
• 2 slices Ginger for parboiling
• 2 stalks Green onions for parboiling
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine for parboiling
• 6 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 6 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 50 g Rock sugar
• 3 tbsp Smooth peanut butter
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 3 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 3 Star anise
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 4 Bay leaves
• 1 Caoguo aka tsaoko (looks like a nutmeg)
• 4 slices Ginger
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 Shallot
• 2 L Water
• 5 g Dried chilies (optional)
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 2 tsp Corn starch for slurry
• 1 tbsp Water for slurry

Instructions

 

• Rinse approximately 2 pork knuckles and put into a large pot
  
• Add 2 slices of ginger, 2 stalks of green onions, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine and enough water to cover the pork knuckles
  
• Bring water to a boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes
• Remove pork knuckles from the water and rinse with cold water. Let cool in a colander. Water, ginger and green onions may be discarded
  
• When pork knuckles have cooled, remove hairs with a tweezer
  
• Slice 4 slices of ginger, coarsely chop 6 cloves of garlic and 1 shallot. Prepare 5g of dried chilies
  
• Prepare 3 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 bay leaves and 1 caoguo. Preferably, place into a spice bag so that it’ll be easy to fish out
  
• In a braising pot, heat on medium high heat, add 2 tbsp oil, add ginger. Fry until ginger is golden
  
• Add garlic, shallots and dried chilies, fry until aromatic
  
• Add pork knuckles, 2L water (or enough to cover the pork knuckles), 6 tbsp light soy sauce, 6 tbsp dark soy sauce, 50g rock sugar, 3 tbsp peanut butter, 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 3 tbsp oyster sauce, and prepared spice bag
  
• Bring contents to a boil and fish out the cinnamon and caoguo They’re fished out now so that there is only a subtle herb flavour. If you like the taste stronger, you may keep it in longer. If you leave it for longer, beware that caoguo may leave a bitter after taste especially if you’re making less content
  
• Adjust heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally This is a medium simmer where you should see gentle bubbles forming. If foam forms, remove with a skimmer
  
• After 2 hours, remove the pork knuckles and remove the bone. The bone should be fairly easy to remove. You may cut a vertical slit on the knuckle and remove the bone. Or, you may hold down the knuckle with one hand and pull the bone with the other so that you maintain a ring-like piece of knuckle
  
• Remove all the solids from the sauce
• Combine 2 tsp corn starch and 1 tbsp water. Mix well and drizzle slowly into the sauce. Stir mixture until thickened
  
• Optional: blanche some bok choy to place around the plate
• Put pork knuckles on the plate, either whole or cut into pieces, pour sauce on top
  
• Serve with rice, noodles or steamed buns

Nutrition

Calories: 888kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 57gFat: 75gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 35gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 201mgSodium: 2509mgPotassium: 207mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 268IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 4mg

Keyword Braised, Chilis, Cinnamon, Ginger, Green Onions, Knuckles, Oyster Sauce, Peanut Butter, Pork, Shallot, Star Anise

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