Ingredients
1 tbsp. neutral oil, such as avocado oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1" piece ginger, minced
1 tbsp. soy paste or 1/4 c. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. fermented black beans (optional)
1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 star anise
1 tbsp. Szechuan peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 c. water or mushroom broth
1 1/2 lb. skin-on pork shoulder, cut into 1 ½" pieces
2 tbsp. goji berries (optional)
3 tbsp. lotus seed (optional)
6 shiitake mushrooms, quartered
4 oz. smoked five-spice tofu, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 c. chopped Chinese chives or green onions
3 large napa cabbage leaves
Cooked rice, for serving
Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Preparation
Step 1Preheat Instant Pot by setting to “Sauté.” Add oil and cook onion, garlic, and ginger until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add soy paste or sauce, beans, sugar, white pepper, black pepper and stir until combined.Step 2Tie star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, and cinnamon stick in cheesecloth and add to pot along with water, pork, goji, lotus, mushroom, tofu, and chives. Stir to combine, then place cabbage on top in an even layer.Step 3Close lid, change setting to manual “Pressure Cook” and set for 25 minutes on High. When 25 minutes are up, let pot naturally release for 30 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.Step 4Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro before serving, if desired.
Given that this recipe was made for a Budget Eats episode, there are no real exact measurements: I used some sautéed onion, garlic, ginger to go with cubes of skin-on pork shoulder; I also added fun ingredients from my mom’s pantry like goji berries, lotus seeds, dried shiitake mushrooms, and smoked tofu. For flavoring, a hunk of thick, miso-like soy paste; brown sugar and anise for the sweet curve, and white pepper and chives for a savory touch. After 25 minutes of high-pressure cooking, the results were astonishing for such a low-maintenance process. All that was needed was a light garnish of fresh cilantro and some cooked rice to soak up all that broth.
