How to Cook Pork Soft and Tender - Mytour

If you're tired of boiled, stir-fried, or braised dishes, try this new and strange way to cook pork, soft and tender pork stew. The stewed meat is soft, gently melting in the mouth, perfect with rice. The cooking method is quite simple, without requiring much technique. Now, prepare the ingredients and get into the kitchen with Mytour.

1. Soft and Tender Pork Stew - A Simple Dish Everyone Loves

Soft and tender pork stew is also known as 'bung' meat, a famous specialty of the Central region. Each piece of meat is stewed until tender, almost melting in the mouth. The meat broth is rich, flavorful, not greasy, and very suitable for eating with hot white rice. 

Simple ingredients, easy to buy and find. The cooking time is only a few minutes, so it is very suitable for busy women who don't have much time to cook. That's why this dish is loved and chosen by many women to refresh the menu, especially on cold days.

Photo: Collected

2. Pork Stew Recipe

To successfully stew pork, you need to prepare all the ingredients. Here is a suggestion from Mytour Blog, you can increase or decrease the ingredients to suit your family's taste. 

Prepare the Ingredients

• Pork shoulder: 500g
• Shallots: 5 bulbs
• Baking soda: 4 teaspoons
• Ginger: 1 bulb
• Seasoning: Cooking oil, salt, sugar, MSG, pepper
• A little fresh herbs for garnish

Cooking Steps

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• Use coarse salt to gently rub on the surface of the meat, then rinse with water to remove the gamey smell
• Sprinkle some baking soda on both sides of the meat, let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then rinse the meat again with clean water, drain, and cut into bite-sized pieces. 
• Peel and finely chop the shallots.
• Finely chop the ginger
• Wash the herbs, drain

Photo: Collected

Step 2: Marinate the Meat

• Put the meat in a large bowl, season with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, ½ teaspoon of MSG, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and finely chopped ginger
• Marinate the meat evenly with the spices
• Use food wrap to cover the bowl tightly and place it in the refrigerator, marinate for about 20 - 30 minutes

Photo: Collected

Step 3: Stew the Meat

• Place the pot on the stove, add cooking oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, add the finely chopped shallots and sauté until golden, then add the marinated meat to the pot and stir-fry until firm
• If you want a beautiful brown color, you can make caramel color with sugar and add it while stir-frying the meat
• Then add enough water to cover the meat surface and bring to a boil
• Regularly skim off the foam to keep the stew clear and beautiful
• Next, reduce the heat and simmer the meat for about 1 - 1.5 hours, cover tightly to make the dish soft and tender.
• Before turning off the heat, don't forget to taste and adjust the seasonings to make the dish just right.

Note: With this pork stew recipe, you can use a pressure cooker or slow cooker to shorten the stewing time. 

Step 4: Enjoy

• Scoop the meat into a bowl and garnish with fresh herbs, finely chopped scallions to make the dish more appealing.

Photo: Collected

Digi suggests some delicious recipes:

• How to Make Roasted Pork with Pickled Mustard Greens
• How to Make Braised Pork

3. Finished Product

The stewed pork is soft, easy to eat, not dry. The beautiful brown color is eye-catching. The stewed meat broth is rich, smooth, when poured over hot rice, it is very appetizing. Additionally, you can eat it with bread, vermicelli, or pho, all delicious.

Photo: Collected

4. Tips for Cooking Pork Stew

To successfully cook delicious pork stew, refer to the following tips.

How to Choose Ingredients

For the pork stew recipe above, you can use any part of the meat. However, the shoulder part will be better, less fatty and not greasy. When choosing shoulder meat, choose meat that is bright pink, dry and firm, not exuding liquid. Choose pork with a thin layer of white or ivory fat, tightly adhering to the meat.When buying meat, you can press your hand on the surface, feel the freshness, firmness, and good elasticity. 

Photo: Collected

How to Cook Pork Stew without Using Baking Soda

If you don't have baking soda, you can tenderize the meat by using lemon juice, vinegar, and wine in the marinating step. Depending on the thickness and size of the meat, you can marinate it from 30 minutes to 2 hours to achieve a delicious tenderness without being too soft.

How to Make Caramel Color

Prepare a thick-bottomed pan. Turn on the stove to low heat, wait for the pan to heat up, then add 3 tablespoons of white sugar and cook until it turns into a dark syrup. Add 3 tablespoons of boiling water or fresh coconut water to the pan, stir well, and turn off the heat.

Note: When adding coconut water, the steam can cause burns. When caramelizing sugar, do not stir, as the sugar can clump and not dissolve, resulting in a less attractive color.

The easiest way to cook pork stew is to use a specialized pot, which takes only about 30 minutes. To enhance the flavor, you can add Chinese herbs or wormwood to the stew.

Above is the guide on how to cook pork stew very simply. Show off your skills today to bring a new taste to your family meals. Wish you and your family delicious and nutritious meals.

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• 15+ Delicious stir-fried dishes with pork
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