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Boiled pork is a popular dish in Vietnamese cuisine. Whether eaten alone or dipped in chili garlic fish sauce, pickled shrimp, or paired with fresh spring rolls or tofu noodles, it always satisfies. The key to tasty boiled pork lies not only in the quality of the meat but also in the cooking process. Let Mytour unveil the secrets to cooking delicious boiled pork that restaurants swear by!
Preparing the Ingredients
- 500 – 700 grams of pork (serving 4 – 6 people)
- 1 dried onion
- 1 bulb of garlic
- A few slices of ginger
- Seasonings: sea salt, vinegar
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1. Tips for Boiling Delicious Pork
To ensure that boiled pork turns out fragrant, tasty, and white, follow these steps:
Step 1: Prepare the Pork
- After purchasing pork, use a sharp knife to clean off any remaining hair on the skin. Rub salt all over the meat or wash it with diluted salt water. Rinse with clean water.
- If the piece of meat is thick and large, you can divide it to ensure even and faster boiling.
- Avoid cutting the fresh meat into too small pieces before boiling as it will shrink and make the boiled meat drier.
Step 2: Removing the Odor from the Meat
- Delicious boiled pork should first and foremost be fragrant and not have any unpleasant odor. A trick to achieving delicious boiled pork is to boil it twice. The meat will be blanched once before boiling.
- In the pot of water, add scallions, garlic, and a piece of crushed ginger. This method will help the pork become fragrant and eliminate any odors.
- Place the meat into the pot when the water is cold. This way, impurities in the meat will be released (Note: remember to skim off any foam during the boiling process). Blanch the meat for about 2 – 3 minutes, then remove it.
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Step 3: Boil the meat
- Place the blanched meat into a pot, pour cold water covering the meat. Add crushed dry shallots (1 bulb), along with spring onions and a few slices of ginger, optionally add a pinch of salt for richer flavor.
- The average boiling time for the meat is about 20 – 25 minutes, for it to be fully cooked and delicious, not dry but still tender. However, adjust the cooking time accordingly depending on the thickness of the meat slice.
- Once the pork is cooked, remove it and place it in a bowl of cold iced water with a few drops of lime juice squeezed in. Soak for about 5 – 7 minutes. This method will help the meat stay white without darkening.
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2. Tips to Boil Pork to White, Not Dry
In addition to the detailed instructions above, Mytour Blog also shares some tips on how to boil pork to make it white and not dry.
Boiling Pork to Whiteness
- Method 1: While blanching the meat (before boiling), alongside adding spring onions, ginger to remove odor, add a bit of vinegar and salt. Blanch for about 3 minutes, then rinse the meat with clean water before boiling for the second time.
- Method 2: After the pork is cooked, add a few teaspoons of white vinegar or lime juice.
Boiling Pork without Drying Out
- The reason pork becomes dry when boiled is due to overcooking (long boiling time), causing the moisture in the meat to be released entirely outside.
- To avoid this situation, you need to precisely determine the cooking time for the pork to be cooked, tender, and delicious. For a medium-sized piece of meat, calculate about 15 minutes from when the stove is turned on before testing the doneness. Use a fork to pierce the meat vertically, if there is pinkish-red liquid coming out, it means the meat is not yet cooked. Boil for another 5 minutes and test again with a fork.
- After removing the meat and letting it cool, the meat may shrink and become dry. This is because the meat reacts to environmental changes. To address this issue, prepare a bowl of ice water and soak the meat for about 2-3 minutes.
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- Digi suggestion: Authentic restaurant-style rib recipe
3. How to Slice Pork Beautifully
To slice boiled pork beautifully, you need a sharp knife. Most importantly, determine the direction of the grain to slice the meat. Slicing the meat against the grain ensures tenderness and prevents dryness when eating.
To determine the grain of the pork, cut a piece of meat in half to identify the direction of the grain.
4. Secrets to Choosing Fresh and Delicious Pork
In making delicious boiled pork, one crucial factor is ensuring the quality of the pork:
For boiled pork dishes, you can choose any part of the meat. Among them, the most favored parts, after being boiled to tenderness, deliciousness, and aroma, are: pork belly, shoulder meat, thigh meat, pork leg,... These are all parts with a good balance of lean meat, fat, and skin, resulting in tender and flavorful meat after boiling.
- High-quality fresh pork will have the meat and fat tightly attached, not separated or loose. The ratio of lean meat to fat is appropriate. The lean meat is dry, the meat fibers are even and firm.
- High-quality fresh pork will have a light red or fresh pink color. The fat will be white.
- The meat should not have any unpleasant odor.
- The meat has good elasticity, when pressed it immediately returns to its original shape. The meat surface is not marked by fingerprints and is dry.
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Aside from being served with rice, boiled pork can also be used as an ingredient for rolls such as rice paper rolls, shrimp and pork salad rolls, or vermicelli with shrimp paste,... Through this article, Mytour hopes to help you learn the right way to boil delicious pork like restaurant standard for the whole family to enjoy.
See more:
- 7 Delicious recipes for pig ears salad
- Recipe for fried pork belly with garlic and chili, extremely attractive
