Chinese-style braised pork hock

• Meat

  • 1 1/2 cup Meat broth
  • 1 Pork hock, about 1.5 kg.

• Produce

  • 12 Baby corns
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 2 Clusters of bok choy
  • 1/2 head Garlic
  • 1 2-inch piece Ginger
  • 2 Shallots

• Condiments

  • 1 Soy sauce

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/2 tsp Peppercorns
  • 2 Star anise
  • 1 Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Tapioca

Found on casaveneracion.com

Ingredients

• 1 pork hock, about 1.5 kg.
• half a head of garlic
• a 2-inch piece of ginger
• 2 shallots
• ½ tsp. of peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 star anise
• 1 and ½ c. of meat broth
• soy sauce, to taste
• sugar, to taste
• 1 tbsp. of tapioca (or potato or corn) starch
• 12 baby corns
• 2 to 4 clusters of bok choy

Directions

• Preheat the oven (a turbo broiler works too) to 475F. If your oven temperature can go higher than that, set it at the highest temperature.
• Place the pork hock on a rack and roast until the skin blisters, around 45 to 55 minutes.
• Transfer the pork hock to the slow cooker. Throw in the garlic, ginger, shallots, peppercorns, bay leaves and star anise. Pour in the broth. Season with soy sauce and sugar (the amount of each depends on how the broth had been seasoned; just find the balance that pleases your taste buds).
• Set the slow cooker to HIGH. After an hour, reduce the heat to LOW. Cook the pork hock for another five hours, or a total of six hours in the slow cooker.
• About 30 minutes before the cooking time is up, dissolve the starch in ¼ c. of water and pour into the slow cooker in a thin stream.
• Cook the baby corn and bok choy in salted water, then drain.
• To serve, scoop out the pork hock and transfer to a serving bowl. Strain the thickened sauce and pour over the meat. Arrange the baby corn and bok choy on the side.
• Serve the Chinese-style braised pork hock with rice or with Chinese buns.