To celebrate Singapore’s 44th National Day yesterday, a long time friend organised to have several foodie friends drop by to her humble abode to cook a “Red & White” themed dinner.

One of my contributions to the dinner party was a Red-Braised Pork dish which I had been meaning to try for a long time.

This recipe is adapted from Fuschia Dunlop’s treatise on Hunanese Cuisine, the aptly named “Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook“.

According to Dunlop, in Hunan, Red-Braised Pork is often touted as having medical virtues and is eaten as a health food, and, in the words of Chairman Mao‘s nephew Mao Anping: “Men eat it to build their brains, and ladies to make themselves more beautiful.”

The recipe is originally from Chairman Mao’s nephew, and was supposedly the one Chairman Mao loved and ate frequently, to the extent of having had his Hunanese chef cook it for him in Beijing.  I have added a few water chestnuts to give it a nice crunchy contrast.

Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork

Chairman Mao’s Red-Braised Pork Recipe
(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

750g Pork Belly (Skin On)
3 tbsp Peanut Oil
3 tbsp White Sugar
2 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
30g Fresh Ginger (Old, Sliced with skin on)
8 nos Water Chestnut (Peeled and halved crosswise)
2 nos Star Anise
2 sticks Cinnamon or Cassia
3 nos Dried Chillies
Light Soya Sauce, Salt and Sugar to taste
a few lengths of Spring Onion to garnish
2 nos Fresh Red Chillies to garnish

Method:

1. Plunge the pork belly into a wok of boiling water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until partially cooked.  Remove and, when cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized chunks.

2. Heat the oil and sugar in a wok over a gentle fire until the sugar melts, then raise the heat and stir until the melted sugar turns a rich caramel brown.  Add the pork, the water chestnuts and splash in the Shaoxing wine.

3. Add just enough water to cover the pork, along with the ginger, star anise, dried chillies and cinnamon sticks.  Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes.

4. Towards the end of the cooking time, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce (if necessary), and season with light soya sauce, salt and a little sugar to taste.  Add the spring onions and fresh red chillies just before serving.

5. Finally, pour everything into a deep bowl, and decorate with the spring onions and fresh red chillies.

ENJOY…!!!

Regular nama-sake, a.k.a. nama-zake, or hon-nama, is bottled and released without any pasteurisation.  These are usually released in spring or summer, and tend to be more vibrant, raw and edgy.

Draft (Nama) Saké made for the autumn release, is also called “nama-zume”, or more commonly, “Hiyaoroshi”.  These undergo a pasteurisation process, which takes place after the fermentation and pressing, and is “settled” for 6 months before being bottled and released without a second pasteurisation.

This practice supposedly gives the brew a harmonious autumn-like richness, and a taste that’s full, and round.

The practice of not pasteurising before bottling, also leaves Hiyaoroshi Saké vulnerable to deterioration, and thus, must be shipped, and sold refrigerated.

Here are 4 examples of the 2008 Aki-no-Hiyaoroshi or Autumn Released Draft Saké available in Singapore.

Aramasa Akitaryu "Hiyaoroshi" Junmai Ginjo Nama

Aramasa Akitaryu “Hiyaoroshi” Junmai Ginjo Nama

Origin: Akita Prefecture.
Grade: Junmai Ginjo
Seimaibuai: Not indicated.
SMV: Not indicated.
Acidity: Not indicated.
Alc: 15 – 16%
Bottled: 10/2008

Tasting Notes:

Pale straw in colour, with aromas of rice and “wet towel”, slowly developing into cherry blossoms, as it got air and a little warmer.

Quite dry, with flavours that are a little melon-like with apples and rice in the background. Rich, and with quite a bold freshness, with good palate weight and a very clean finish.

Excellent with fatty Roast Pork and even Cantonese Barbecued Pork Ribs.

Ichinokura "Autumn" Tokubetsu Junmai Nama

Ichinokura “Autumn” Tokubetsu Junmai Nama

Origin: Miyagi Prefecture.
Grade: Tokubetsu Junmai
Seimaibuai: Not indicated.
SMV: +1 ~ +2
Acidity: 1.5 – 1.7
Alc: 16 – 17%
Bottled: 09/2008

Tasting Notes:

Very pale, almost colourless. Quite fruity on the nose with melons and apples dominating, and rice quietly in the background.

Quite obviously fruity, yet dry at the same time, with melon and apples echoing the nose, as well as, some slightly spicy white pepper and shiso notes.  Rich and full-bodied, a really smooth texture, yet elegant, and finishes clean.

Quite interesting with a Goma-dressed Mizuna Salad.

Shirataki Jozen Mizunogotoshi "Autumn" Jumai Ginjo Nama

Shirataki Jozen Mizunogotoshi “Autumn” Junmai Ginjo Nama

Origin: Niigata Prefecture.
Grade: Junmai Ginjo
Seimaibuai: 60%
SMV: Not indicated.
Acidity: Not indicated.
Alc: 15 – 16%
Bottled: 08/2008

Tasting Notes:

Almost colourless, with melon notes on the nose, and perhaps a hint of peach in the background.

Very dry, with some of the same aromas echoing on the palate, especially melon, with some quiet rice notes in the background. Bold, fresh and quite rich and with a smooth texture, and,  a quick,  clean, and dry finish.

Excellent with Oden or Pork Yakiniku.

Urakasumi "Hiyaoroshi" Tokubetsu Junmai Nama

Urakasumi “Hiyaoroshi” Tokubetsu Junmai Nama

Origin: Miyagi Prefecture.
Grade: Tokubetsu Junmai.
Seimaibuai: 60%
SMV: +1 ~ +2
Acidity: 1.4
Alc: 16 – 17%
Bottled: 09/2008

Tasting Notes:

Aomas of nashi pears, rice, and hints of nutmeg and perhaps melon.

On the palate, it shows a very light hint of sweetness, and is quite richly flavoured, with rice dominating, and hints of caramel in the background. Full-bodied, deep and weighty, with a creamy and lush texture.  Well-balanced, and enjoyable.

Try with grilled oily fish or perhaps sushi featuring oily white fish like hamachi.

Other than the regular “brews” that appear on the shelves all year round, there are seasonal examples that appear only once a year for a limited period of time.

Seasonal Saké are released only 3 times a year, during Spring, Summer and Autumn, and most of them tend to be un-pasteurised (Draft/Nama), thus giving them a certain freshness, and fragility.  These Saké require refrigeration, otherwise, their fresh flavours will fade, and flatness develops.

In this post we look at 3 examples of the 2008 Natsu-no-Namazake or Summer Released Draft Sake available in Singapore.

Urakasumi Junmai Namazake

Urakasumi Junmai Namazake
– Miyagi Prefecture

Displaying exuberant aromas of white flowers, and ripe red apples.  Dry, with good freshness on the palate, with a medium body, and a very clean finish.

Drink nicely chilled, with Japanese Cherry Tomatoes, or Tsukemono Moriawase (assorted pickles).

Mineno Hakubai Syakubito Honjozo Namazake

Mineno Hakubai “Syakubito” Honjozo Namazake
– Niigata Prefecture

Layered nose of rice, white flowers and spicy shiso sprouts.
Dry, with white pepper notes on the mid-palate.  Fresh, yet round and rich with quite a full body, and some alcohol heat, with the same spicy white pepper echoing on the finish.

Drink chilled with a Baked Sockeye Salmon Fillet, or any other grilled oily fish with a strong flavour.

Ichinokura "Hyakkoi" Tokubetsu Junmai Namazake

Ichinokura “Hyakkoi” Tokubetsu Junmai Namazake
– Miyagi Prefecture

Light notes of melon and apples on the nose, with just a hint of rice.
Dry, with almost sweet fruit notes and a bold freshness.  Quite rich and full-bodied, a really smooth texture, and finishes with a clean, slightly fresh aftertaste.

Drink well chilled with a Braised Veal Osso Bucco, or a hearty Pork Belly Stew.