Sticky Pork & Pineapple Hotpot
Recipe GLPR9e5c64e11ae27e
A Southeast Asian-inspired braised pork hotpot with caramelized aromatics, warm spices, and sweet pineapple chunks. Pork shoulder steaks are slowly cooked until meltingly tender in a rich, sticky sauce infused with garlic, coriander, Thai chillies, and star anise, balanced with fish sauce and chicken stock.
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Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1.5 kg pork shoulder steaks, cut into thick strips
3 onions, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small bunch fresh coriander, stalks finely chopped and leaves reserved
3 Thai red chillies, 2 sliced and 1 left whole and pricked with a knife
3 star anise
100 g dark soft brown sugar
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp fish sauce
600 ml chicken stock
350 g fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
Directions
Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C fan / gas 3). Heat the vegetable oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Pat the pork strips dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Working in 2–3 batches to avoid overcrowding, sear the pork until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned pork to a clean bowl and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the chopped onions into the fat remaining in the casserole. Cover the dish and allow the onions to soften and absorb the caramelized flavors from the pork, about 5 minutes.
Add the sliced garlic, chopped coriander stalks, sliced red chillies, whole pricked chilli, and star anise to the casserole. Stir constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the brown sugar and tomato purée, stirring until both have melted and the mixture resembles a thick barbecue-like sauce.
Return the reserved pork and any accumulated juices to the casserole. Pour in the fish sauce and chicken stock, stirring gently to combine. Scatter the pineapple chunks throughout the mixture.
Bring the contents to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Cover the casserole, leaving a small gap to allow steam to escape, then transfer to the preheated oven.
Braise for 1.5 hours. At the 1 hour mark (30 minutes before the end), carefully skim away some of the excess fat from the surface—this fat can seal the liquid in and prevent the sauce from reducing properly. Return the covered casserole to the oven for the final 30 minutes.
The pork is ready when it is meltingly soft and tender. If the braising liquid is too thin, transfer the pork to a warmed serving dish using a slotted spoon. Place the casserole dish on the stovetop over medium heat and simmer the sauce, uncovered, until it has reduced and thickened to your desired consistency.
Allow the dish to cool for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Pour the sauce over the pork and scatter the reserved coriander leaves over the top before serving.
