Is: Grain and gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, nightshade-free.
Pork bone broth/stock, defatted, and aliquoted out to a few containers for freezing. Add salt and appropriate seasonings prior to use. This is concentrated, you may wish to add water depending on intent.
I’ve used pork stock in previous recipes which I will try to remember to link below, but I’ve never used it in an Asian-based recipe, as of yet. Today’s recipe is based mostly on the Chinese approach, but I describe both.
For European recipes, the principles are the same as the chicken/poultry bone broth/meat stock post I made this past week, except that you cook this longer. 8 hours of a light simmer is good, in a crock pot, and oh, 4 or 5 or so hours in a range-top pot. Otherwise, just follow those suggestion on that page.
The pork I use has all come from a pastured pig from a Connecticut farm. I obtained half of a pig last fall from that farm. I am not convinced that supermarket pork is as healthy, nor that it was raised humanely. So when I run out of my pork supply, that’s going to be it, here. (Until if and when I can get more.) No interest in purchasing Smithfield or other mega-suppliers of pork products.
Simmer, simmer…
You can also use roasted and browned bones and carcass in the European-based stocks, but Asian typically does not call for browning. I will admit in this upcoming recipe, where I will be making an Asian-infused stock, I do have some leftover roasted bones that will be added, so this won’t be thoroughly authentic, and the stock will thus be a bit darker than preferred. But my goal when cooking this recipe is to make something I can save and set aside for my future goal of.. making Soup Dumplings! (Expect that one early summer – it will tie together the soup, the meat inside and the dumpling wrap itself. This delay gives me time to fine-tune the dumpling portion.)
Bone and onion removal.
Since my purpose in making this one is indeed to learn how to make soup dumplings, I need to be sure there is plenty of collagen that will gel up when in the fridge. (How did they get that soup in there?!?!?! – it’s in gelatin form when being added in…) So I added in a pig foot (not smoked). You could use a hock, or a goodly portion of ribs with some meat and cartilage. If you don’t plan on making soup dumplings – just use whatever you have around your freezer.
No scallions nor green onions here, but I do have a couple onions that are rather old and, ahem, sprouting their own!
Made Sunday, 4/5/2020.
This is the stock, cooling prior to de-fatting the upper surface.
Bone Broth /Meat Stock: Pork
- Pork bones, some with a bit of meat, definitely include cartilage. If available, use a pig’s foot or ham hock (un-smoked).
- Water to cover.
- Alliums – one onion, chopped into quarters, or go feel free to use a couple shallots or one or two leeks. Most traditional are green onions/scallions, a good bunch.
- Splash of vinegar (rice vinegar for Asian, apple cider or red vinegar for Western).
- Optional slivers of ginger for Asian, say about the length of the tip of your thumb.
- Optional celery, for Western. Three good stalks.
Amounts of things will vary depending on how much pork you have. I cook these stocks up when I discover that the stock makings are overflowing my freezer.
You can pre-thaw, or cook directly in your stock pot, crock pot, or Instant Pot. Today I am using the crock pot.
Add everything you are using into your crock or other pot. Again, no salt until ready to use. The stock pot will cook down quicker than the other two types of pot, so watch the water levels. I don’t add salt at this point (this is why I don’t use smoked ham, plus it adds a flavor that I really don’t want in Asian cookery. Which is what I’m doing, as mentioned, with this batch.
Let it go and simmer!
Crock pot: 6-8 hours, low.
Stock pot: 4-5 hours, simmer.
Instant pot / pressure cooker: I’d appreciate it if one of my readers can tell me what they use for timing, since I don’t own one. You’ll get credit here.
In the crock pot depicted here, I used 1 pig’s foot, and a variety of bones.
Decant and strain out solids. If you wish to cook down to a more-storable volume, do so; you can always add water when re-constituting for whatever soup need you may have.
Place in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight), then scrape off the fat layer that will form on top. You can always reserve this as a type of lard for cooking, but I wouldn’t consider this part great for baking. (In fact, I discarded this, this time.)
I freeze the stock until I need – and this is also when you add the salt (when volume is adjusted), other seasonings and spices, and whatever other veggies you want.
Oh, my post about how to render lard… I’d do that with completely unflavored pork lard, and the most important part is the leaf lard that surrounds the kidney – this part has no porky flavor, and is terrific for bakers to use.
For Western cooking: This would be a great base for a split pea soup (here you can add tiny bits of diced ham). Or a barley soup. I could also see this as a variant for a minestrone soup. Or, you know, just simply dollop out a ladleful of this as is (well, add to taste some salt and ground pepper), and have it as a healthy and nutritious broth.
For Eastern cooking: You’ll get the Chinese soup dumpling recipe when I get around to making that. I could also see this stock being reserved as a base for a Vietnamese pho recipe.
NEXT WEEK: Vegetarian/Vegan Stock!
PAST POSTS IN THIS SERIES: OVERVIEW; POULTRY STOCK OR BONE BROTH.
Meanwhile, stock up on other great recipes at:
Sea Vegetable
Of Goats and Greens 