Pressure Cooker Chinese Braised Ham Hocks

Originally posted February 2009 on my Facebook:

This is my grandma's recipe. I refer to it as the Chinese Ossobuco, with pork shank used instead of veal shank. To clarify, the shank is the foreleg section of the animal, not the thigh (ham) or the feet. I prepared this in a pressure cooker, which really sped up the cooking process. If you don't have a pressure cooker, the cooking time would be doubled in a regular pot or a lot longer in a crock pot (which you could then leave unattended).

You'll Need:

2 lbs pork shank with skin intact (but no hairs!), cut into big hunks
2 pieces of sliced ginger with skin on
3 stalks of green onions chopped into 3 sections (minus bulb)
1/2 bottle (1 cup) of oyster flavored sauce (made really with mushrooms...)
1/3 bottle (1 cup) of Shao Shing Cooking Wine
1 cup of water
1 piece of rock sugar (garlic clove sized)

To make:

Chinese ppl always parboil meat prior to braising to clean it. Boil water and place meat into water for 1-2 minutes. Pour off the dirty water. Dry off the meat.

Heat 2-3 table spoons of oil in the large cooking pot you're going to use. Lightly crisp the meat with skin side down. Remove when skin is golden and crispy and reserve on the side. In same pan, drop in the ginger and green onions and let them infuse the oil. Pour in the oyster sauce, wine, water and rock sugar, mix until combined. Let the mixture come to a boil and then add the browned meat back into the pot.

If using a pressure cooker, close the lid and let the pot reacher proper pressure. With my pot, I let the pressure gauge rock for 55 minutes. Then I removed the lid and turned the flame on high to reduce the liquide by about 1/3. The end should be dark brown and glossy gravy over tender meat.

If you're using a regular pot. Follow the same instructions except let mixture come to boil, introduce the meat, reach boil, then reduce to smallest simmer for at least 2 hours covered tightly. After 2 hours, check the meat. It should be falling off the bone. If not, continue cooking. If tender, reduce liquid on open flame.

Best served hot with sauce over steamed rice or thin Chinese noodles (maybe even soba?) with a side of steamed bok choy.

Enjoy!