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Aromatic Braised Pork in Soy-Coconut Broth

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 lbs pork neck or other well-marbled cut (pork shoulder, pork hock), on the bone if possible, cut into two pieces
  • 2 tbsp canola or grapeseed oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, halved length-wise
  • 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • 3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 3 cups coconut water
  • 7 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey
  • 1/4 cup cilantro stems, finely chopped
  • cilantro leaves, lightly chopped for garnish

Chile Vinegar

  • 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 3 Thai chiles, finely sliced

Instructions
 

  • Choose a pot large enough to accommodate the pork but not so large that the liquids spread thin. Heat oil in pot over medium high heat and brown pork on all sides. Remove from pan. 
  • Turn heat to low and add the garlic, black pepper, ginger; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
  • Add cardamom, star anise and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute more.
  • Add chicken stock, coconut water, cilantro stems, soy sauce and brown sugar. Return pork to pot.
  • Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours or until pork easily falls off of bone.
  • Meanwhile, to make the chile vinegar, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar and chiles in a small bowl.
  • When pork is tender and falling off the bone, remove from pot and keep warm. Reduce sauce over medium heat, uncovered, to one-third of original volume; then remove and discard star anise.
  • Serve pork and its cooking juices over steamed rice; top with cilantro leaves and provide chile sauce on the side.