Lo Soi Braised Pork

By norsegal8

Lo soi, literally "old water" in Chinese, is a classic preparation for duck, chicken and pork that is commonly eaten in Hong Kong. The braising liquid, also known as a mother sauce or master sauce, can - and should - be saved and used again and again as it gets better with each use. Some chefs have been known to use the same lo soi for their entire career, much like bakers use the same sourdough starter or Japanese yakitori chefs use the same sauce for years, adding to it as needed. We use it our wonton soup, but it is good on it's own, sliced and served with rice and greens.

Ingredients

• One 3-inch piece Chinese cinnamon
• 3 whole star anise pods
• 10 whole cloves
• 1 whole black cardamom pod*
• 1 pound lean pork shoulder, cut in 2 uniform pieces
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 2-ounce piece fresh ginger, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 cups light soy sauce**
• 8 ounces light brown palm sugar or 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• Water

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Serves: 4
Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Active Time: 30 minutes
Method
1. In a dry frying pan over medium-high heat, toast the cinnamon, star anise, black cardamom and cloves until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds. Transfer to a large stockpot and add the cardamom, ginger, five-spice powder, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Add 7 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.

2. Lower the heat so that the liquid is at a steady simmer, add the pork, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the sit in the liquid for 30 minutes.
Place caramelized pork and reserved toasted spices into cooking liquid. Add enough water to the liquid so that the pork meat is just covered, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove pot from heat and and let pork cool in liquid for 30 minutes.

3. Remove pork and from the liquid and let cool completely before slicing, or wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days before using. Skim off and scum from the surface of the liquid, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a storage container, discarding the solids. Let cool completely, then cover tightly and refrigerate until you are ready to use it again. If you do not use the liquid at least once a month, return it to a pot, bring it to a rolling boil, and boil hard for 5 minutes, then allow it to return to room temperature before refrigerating again. If you do this consistently, the liquid will keep for up to a year. The liquid can also be frozen; after thawing, reheat and taste, adding more water or stock if it is too salty.

4. Each time you use the liquid to cook something, add fresh spices (cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom and ginger) and taste and adjust the flavor by adding more soy sauce or sugar to taste.


VARIATIONS:
Lo soi is commonly used as a braising liquid for whole ducks and chickens. If you want to try it, double the recipe (including the water), add the duck or chicken in place of the pork, and simmer for about 45 minutes for a whole 5-pound duck and 35 minutes for a 3-pound chicken, or until almost cooked through. Remove from the heat and let the duck or chicken sit in the liquid for 30 minutes before serving.