Teochew Braised Pork Knuckle (Pak Lou/Pak Lo)

Ingredients:

500 g pork knuckle (note: this recipe is best cook with duck meat)
3 cups water
3 tbsp black rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tbsp 5 spice powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 clove garlic, pounded
1 (3 inch ) galangal, crushed
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp sugar or to taste
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
6 cups hot boiling water

Dipping Sauce:

1 clove garlic, pounded
2 tsp sugar or to taste
2 tbsp white rice vinegar

Method:

Clean pork knuckles by plucking-off hair and scraping the surface of rind to remove dirt; set-aside.

In a pot, boil 3 cups of water with 3 tbsp vinegar, blanch pork knuckle thoroughly for few minutes, drain and set aside.

In a bowl, mix together 1/2 tsp salt and five spice powder, rub the mixture all over the pork knuckle and allow to marinade for at least few hours.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or non-stick deep pan over medium high heat, saute garlic till fragrant.

Add-in galangal and saute till aroma.

Add-in dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and sugar, continue stirring till fully incorporated.

Add-in pork knuckle, turn to evenly coat with gravy and shrunk slightly.

Add-in hot water, allow to simmer for 3 hours or till pork knuckle is tender and cook thoroughly and the gravy is thicken (turn the pork knuckle occasionally).

Add-in salt and adjust the taste accordingly.

Dish-up, best serve with dipping sauce and accompany with rice.

To prepare the dipping sauce, mix all ingredients together, bring to boil and it is now ready to apply.